Post office announces deadlines for mail headed to military bases

The annual ritual of mailing presents, cards and letters to faraway family and friends is here; there are some special rules to follow when the family and friends are on active duty with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. Brewster Postmaster Judi Hogan submitted some information about proper mailing procedure, to ensure packages and letters get where they're supposed to go in time for Christmas.

Deadlines for mailing some packages to ensure Christmas delivery are coming up fast-like today, Thursday, Dec. 4, depending on the military post. The deadline for first class cards and letters is next Thursday, Dec. 11. A full table of mailing deadlines is available from local post offices and on the U.S. Postal Service web site.

Letters or packages must include the person's full name; all mail must be addressed to someone specific. It must include the unit and APO (Army or Air Post Office) or FPO (Fleet Post Office) address. They must include a return address also.

Mail to APO/FPO addresses is charged domestic mail prices; the Postal Service offers discounts in some cases. People who want to send packages to military personnel can order a "Military Care Kit" to make sure they've got the right boxes, labels and Customs forms; mail sent to overseas APO/FPO addresses usually requires a Customs form. (The kit includes some of each.) The kits can be ordered by phone (1-800-610-8734) or at the USPS web site.

Mail addressed to overseas military post offices is subject to certain conditions or restrictions on content, preparation and handling; a list of the requirements is available at the Post Office web site, at the address www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/pb.htm. The latest information is available under the headline "overseas military mail."