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“My Very Dear Florence … please accept many thanks for the present. I assure you I shall prize it very highly. I don’t think that the picture flatters you at all….”
So wrote Captain James A. Sayles in 1864 in a letter to his sweetheart Florence Lee, from a U.S. Army camp near Brandy Station, Virginia. Sayles’ wartime correspondence is part of an enormous repository of Civil War letters curated by the University of Washington digital collection. They’re an example of a long and fascinating tradition of personal letters being exchanged between military personnel and their loved ones that stretches from the 18th century to the present day.
Today, the USPS operates a busy supply chain delivering military mail and care packages to active-duty troops deployed all over the world. Despite society’s shift to email and video calls, physical mail is often regarded as more tangible and meaningful to soldiers than words or images on a screen.
Read on to find out how the USPS delivers packages safely and discretely to active-duty troops and how to send letters and care packages to military personnel.
How Does Mail Get Delivered to Troops on Active Duty?
The USPS is the only organization authorized to deliver mail and packages to military bases. The supply chain operates as follows:
- Letters and packages for military personnel are sent from local post offices via the USPS network to one of three major processing centers on the East and West Coasts: Miami, New York City, or San Francisco. The mail is sorted, bagged, and tagged.
- First-class, Priority, and Express mail is flown from one of these processing centers to an overseas gateway airport via commercial U.S.-owned aircraft. Retail Ground (Standard) postage is transported via ship to an overseas gateway seaport.
- Once the letter arrives in its destination country it is handed to a Military Postal Service representative who takes it to a Military Post Office.
- From the Military Post Office, the mail is distributed to the service member’s unit and delivered to the recipient.
Military mail is addressed using a coding system to identify troops without using a fixed location: APO (Army and Air Force), FPO (Navy), and DPO (overseas U.S. embassies). The code enables the military to track individuals down because the number is specific to a certain unit.
Censorship and Restricted Military Mail
Maintaining Privacy in the Mail
According to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC), the privacy of mail is protected by law once it is placed within the postal system, and the Department of Defense does not censor mail.
During World Wars I and II, unit commanding officers were required to read all letters written by their troops to ensure they didn’t include sensitive information about location or troop movements. They censored the letters by blacking out or cutting out any part that was deemed a possible security breach. If soldiers preferred to keep the contents of their letters private from their commanding officer, they could make use of an honor cover. Utilizing this meant the letter would be sent to a censorship hub to be checked by someone who did not know the author.
The HRC notes that under customs laws today, customs officials may open packages and unusually bulky envelopes to examine them for contraband, such as drugs. The Department of Defense may also conduct spot checks for the same purpose.
What Items Are Restricted?
Items may be restricted due to military rules (such as no pornography and no political paraphernalia), for transportation safety reasons (such as aerosol cans or fireworks), for military security reasons (electronics that transmit a radio, satellite, or phone signal), and for cultural reasons depending on the destination (such as pork products in a Muslim country).
Visit USPS to enter the APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Code to get a list of restrictions specific to that destination. USPS also provides the latest updates on customs changes via a Postal Bulletin.
How to Send Mail to Active-duty Troops
Formatting a Military Address
Despite being sent overseas, mail and care packages are shipped at domestic postage prices.
Military addresses should be formatted as follows:
- Line 1: The rank and full name of the recipient.
- Line 2: The unit number or Post Office box number.
- Line 3: APO, FPO, or DPO.
- Line 3: The location code: AA for the Americas; AE for Europe, the Middle East, or Africa; and AP for the Pacific.
- Line 3: The zip code for the recipient’s military unit.
For example:
SEAMAN JOHN SMITH
UNIT 520102 BOX 7473
FPO AE 92651
Important notes:
- Always include a return address, and put a second label inside the package in case the outer label gets damaged.
- Addressing a letter or package to “Any Service Member” is no longer permitted.
- Do not include city or country names — this may result in the parcel being held up or rejected.
USPS offers a Click-N-Ship service that allows users to make and print Priority Mail International and Priority Mail Express International postage and address labels.
Customs Forms
Packages addressed to overseas destinations must include a completed customs form. PS Forms 2976 and 2976-A can be found on the USPS website. Foreign customs authorities will use these forms to clear mail for entry into their country.
According to USPS: “Starting August 13, 2020 anyone sending a package with an APO, FPO, or MPO Zip Code™ in the return address will need to create a customs form online, or fill out PS Form 2976-R before visiting a retail counter for the clerk to create the label.”
Transit Times
Transit times depend on the destination, the mail class, and other variables such as military aircraft schedules, local weather, and military operations. Stamps.com has provided the following guide:
For the holiday season, USPS announces recommended mailing deadlines each year to get packages overseas by December 24th. The main point to be aware of is Retail Ground (Parcel Select) is vastly slower than the fastest option, Priority Mail Express.
According to Stamps.com, for USPS Retail Ground, the date is usually early November, while for Priority Mail Express, which is not available to all ZIP Codes, the date is mid-December. Shipping rates vary.
Packaging Tips
Tips on packing care packages are available at Military Times and USPS. They include:
- Use USPS’ free packaging. Order Priority Mail APO/FPO large flat rate boxes online here to have boxes delivered to your door free of charge. USPS also provides free military care kits with boxes, address labels, tape, and customs forms.
- Assume the package will have a rough trip. Consider the length of transit, the temperatures the package will endure, and the fragility of the contents. Don’t send chocolate to a desert country!
- Seal individual items in plastic bags. This will protect items in the box from water or sand damage, and stop items from contaminating the rest of the package if they leak or melt.
- Use packing material and tape. Items shouldn’t move around when you shake the box. Use plenty of tape to secure and strengthen the box.
- Pack tightly, but do not overfill the box. This may cause the box to burst open in transit.
Image Credit: Sean Locke Photography / Shutterstock
