Mailing a Box to Your Deployed Loved One

Serving overseas is a stressful thing, especially during war time. Letters and care packages from loved ones are always a welcomed relief during a time when many simple things would be considered a luxury. Baby wipes, gum, socks and other small items and treats, while granted items for those of us with a Walmart ready-at-hand, are a blessed gift to those who serve our country overseas. There are many issues when mailing a box to an overseas military installation. While bases within the United States postal codes require only simple shipping details and offer a virtually detail free process, sending a box to an overseas area can prove a bit more detailed. Follow these steps to make certain your loved one receives the box you are sending to them:

• Do Not use a box that has a prior label printed on it. While some of these labels can be blocked with black marker or tape, it is not recommended. Boxes labeled with such things as “Bleach” or “Cleaner” will be turned away at the post office. Since the post office has no idea what is inside of the box, a box labeled in such a manner will be denied and deemed as hazardous. You can find a clean and clear box at Walmart or postal offices as well as commercial mailing centers.
• Size matters when it comes to mailing boxes overseas. While we’d all like our loved ones to be able to enjoy their favorite cans of chili and Oreo cookies, sending too many items in one large box can be a mistake. Large boxes are harder to handle during the APO/FPO shipping process and anything too heavy will prove problematic for your loved one as well as they may not have room to store many items at once. A good size for both handling and roominess is an average 12X 12 size. It’s nearly a perfect cube in shape and can be filled with many items while still being convenient in size.
• Tape should only be of the shipping type. Duct tape or masking tape will not hold up under the often over 100 degree temperatures in some of the current overseas stations. Make sure that all ends of the tape are well-applied and affixed to the box as these boxes travel over belts and rollers and these ends may snag.
• Address Clearly, your home address and the address of your deployed member. It’s best to use a fat, permament ink marker instead of a simple pen as a bolder print will make it easier to read. Do not use a crayon or gel based pen as these can smear easily.
• Customs Forms are meant to show the postal offices what your package contains. It can be obtained on line at www.usps.com, or at your local post office. It will ask for information such as the name of the articles in the box (IE: socks, candy, books, baby wipes, photos), how many of each are in the box as well as the weight of each item. It’s a good idea to gather a few of these customs forms for use at home. Then, while you’re packing your box, you can fill out the information per item and save the time and trouble of having to guess weights and amounts after the box is already packed and closed. You will then add your address as well as the address to where it is being sent.
• Do Notsend restricted items such as pornographic materials, horror books or comics, pork or pork products or things deemed as “non-authorized material”. For a clearer understanding of these restrictions, contact your base officials or call 1-800-ask-usps for information.
• Be Careful of the edible items you send. Temperatures in the Middle Eastern Theaters can reach well over 100 degrees on most days. Packages which must wait for your loved ones return to base may have to sit for a while in that heat. Cookies with filling or frosting may melt, so try to stick to things with a drier content. Jarred or glass items must be packed with bubble wrap to ensure they arrive unbroken. If in doubt, always choose a plastic container as they will always fare better.
• The Most Requested Items Include: diaper/baby wipes, sun screen, chap stick/lip balm, socks, gallon sized zip lock bags (to keep sand from chosen items), black electrical tape ( small and handy, it can serve many purposes), individually wrapped candies (both for them and to hand out to local children). For a full list of suggested items, go to www.givetothetroops.org.

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