Military Addressing Tips: Make Sure Your Mail Reaches the Troops

Service members overseas look forward to receiving your letters and packages. That’s why it’s important to make sure your mail gets there, to the right person, in the right place.

The Department of Defense has issued the following guidelines for addressing your mail to military and civilian personnel deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom:

  • Use the Service Member’s Full Name. The Depart­ment of Defense cancelled the “Any Service Member” program, so mail must be addressed to someone specific.
  • Include the Unit and APO/FPO (Air/Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office) address with the ZIP+4® code (if one is assigned). Click-N-Ship customers should be advised that the Postal Service and the military will continue to add and update valid APO/FPO addresses for your online labels.
  • Include a return address.
  • For packages, print on one side only with the recipient’s address in the lower right portion, or print a postage-paid label online with Click-N-Ship ser­vice. (Note that ZIP Code prefixes 093 and 964 are currently unavailable for electronic labels.)

Examples:

Ssgt. Kevin Taylor
Unit 2050 Box 4190
APO AP 96278-2050

Sgt. Robert Smith
PSC 802 Box 74
APO AE 09499-0074

Seaman Joseph Doe
USCGC Hamilton
FPO AP 96667-3931

Sgt. Jane Doe
CMR 1250
APO AA 09045-1000