Basic Training

It all starts with an address…

Military address use the same basic fields we know for personal addresses. There is a bit of a twist… The city, state, and Zip Code are special for military shipments and the special designations identify troops without disclosing their location to keep them safe. Details such as name and address are critical.

Here is what you need to know…

Name = Service Member’s Name: Personal full name, including middle name or initial per the USPS and DOD

Mail MUST be addressed to an actual person or it won’t be delivered. Soldier, Any Service Member, etc. is not allowed and won’t be delivered for security reasons. Rank/grade/rating should be skipped if sending to a DPO (example: CPT for Captain).

Address

City

State

Army: Unit [Number] Box [Number]

Air Force: PSC [Number] Box [Number]

Navy: Ship [Number] Hull [Number]

Embassy: Unit [Number] Box [Number]

Military Post Office: APO/FPO/DPO/MPO

APO: Army Post Office – Associated with Army or Air Force installations

FPO: Fleet Post Office – Associated with Navy installations and ships

DPO: Diplomatic Post Office – Associated with U.S. diplomatic locations/overseas embassies

Armed Forces: AA/AP/AE, the mail processing facilities that get your mail to and from each military location.

AA: America – Excludes Canada

AP: Pacific – Japan, Korea, Pacific Islands, and Far East

AE: Europe – The Middle East, Africa, and Canada

Address

Army: Unit [Number] Box [Number]

Air Force: PSC [Number] Box [Number]

Navy: Ship [Number] Hull [Number]

Embassy: Unit [Number] Box [Number]

City

Military Post Office: APO/FPO/DPO/MPO

APO: Army Post Office – Associated with Army or Air Force installations

FPO: Fleet Post Office – Associated with Navy installations and ships

DPO: Diplomatic Post Office – Associated with U.S. diplomatic locations/overseas embassies

State

Armed Forces: AA/AP/AE, the mail processing facilities that get your mail to and from each military location.

AA: America – Excludes Canada

AP: Pacific – Japan, Korea, Pacific Islands, and Far East

AE: Europe – The Middle East, Africa, and Canada

Zip Code

Zip Codes for correlating State for Armed Forces

Europe/Atlantic: AE, Zip Codes start with 090-092 and 094-099

Iraq/Afghanistan/Middle East: AE, Zip Codes start with 093

Japan/Korea/Pacific Islands/Far East: AP, Zip Codes start with 962-966

Central America/South America/ Caribbean: AA, Zip Codes start with 340

Don’t get confused if you see the acronym “MPO”. The military has an equivalent function to the post office and is referred to as MPO which stand for Military Post Office.

Addressing Details and Guidelines

Addresses are laid out differently depending on the type of post office they are going to. Aside from the service members full name the USPS and DOD says each shipment to an APO, FPO, or DPO should include a “Unit”, “CMR” (Community Mail Room), or “PSC” (Postal Service Center) number along with the box number.

Addressing Military or Diplomatic Mail

Army

Unit [Number] Box [Number] Army / Air Post Office (APO)

CPT ERIC C. COLE

UNIT 111 BOX 4120

APO AE 09001-5275

Air Force

PSC [Number] Box [Number] Navy / Fleet Post Office (FPO)

E-1 MARK W. MAVERICK

PSC 222 BOX 345

FPO AP 96606-2783

Navy

Ship [Number] Hull [Number] Navy / Fleet Post Office (FPO)

SEAMAN SAMUEL S. SAILOR

USS NIMITZ (CVN 68)

UNIT 1001 BOX 4120

FPO AP 96606-2783

Embassy

Unit [Number] Box [Number] Diplomatic Post Office (DPO)

SUSAN S. SMITH

UNIT 8400 BOX 122

DPO AE 09498-0048

When you ship your package from a post office it goes to the International Service Center to transition to the military mail stream.

So why is this important?

Because with military packages you are only paying domestic rates to one of these locations. Once they are at a military post office packages have to be sorted and redistributed again. Here are some average shipping times for USPS shipments.

EUROPE / ATLANTIC (APO / FPO AE ZIP Codes beginning with 090-092 and 094–099)

Express Mail® Military Service 3 Days

First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–19Days

Package Services* 30-45 Days

IRAQ / AFGHANISTAN / MIDDLE EAST (APO / FPO AE ZIP Codes beginning with 093)

Express Mail® Military Service Not Available

First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–13 Days

Package Services* 20–24 Days

JAPAN / KOREA / PACIFIC ISLANDS / FAR EAST (APO / FPO AP ZIP Codes beginning with 962–966)

Express Mail® Military Service 3 Days

First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–9 Days

Package Services* 30–45 Day

CENTRAL AMERICA / SOUTH AMERICA / CARIBBEAN (APO / FPO AA ZIP Codes beginning with 340)

Express Mail® Military Service Not Available

First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–9 Days

Package Services* 18–21 Days

AFRICA

Express Mail® Military Service Not Available

First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 15-18 Days

* Ground delivery service for U.S. addresses, including PO boxes and military addresses.
Source: USPS FAQ: Military and Diplomatic Mail

Finally Shipping a Military Package

Restricted Items

Be sure you know what can and can’t be sent overseas.

General prohibited items include:

  • GPS tracking devices (used cell phones, transmitter radios, etc.)
  • Offensive or pornographic images (including semi-nudity),
  • Bulk quantities of religious materials
  • Pork products abd sometimes even other meat products
  • Items with aerosols and glass can break in transit
  • Sometimes coffee is restricted
  • There may even be box size restrictions

The best way to know what is prohibited is to use this Military Restricted Items Link: https://postcalc.usps.com/militaryrestrictions

Enter the deployment Zip Code in the box and you’ll get a list of restricted items specific to the deployment location.

Package Maximums

Package cannot exceed 70 pounds.

Length + Girth cannot exceed 108 inches.

Length is the measurement of the longest side and girth is the distance around the thickest part (perpendicular to length).

Shipping Tips

  1. Take individually wrapped items out of bulky packaging.
  2. Buy on sale and save items for future care packages.
  3. Pack liquids/powders in plastic zip lock bags or containers.
  4. Be aware of timing for sending chocolate because it melts.
  5. Use quality boxes.
  6. Skip restricted items.
  7. Don’t ship air.
  8. Use plastic grocery bags, reusable items, or candy for fillers.

Note: USPS prohibits mailing hand sanitizer, aerosols, and other hazardous materials, there may also be base-specific restrictions which you can find here:
https://postcalc.usps.com/militaryrestrictions.

Commonly Requested Items

Drinks & Sauces

Food & Snacks

Hygiene & Personal Items

Games & Misc

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

Coffee (Check for Restrictions)

So, Two More Pieces Of Information: Customs And Drop Off

Customs Forms

Required for all military packages.

Your Customs Form is included on your label when you use ShipThrifty’s shipping tools, so you skip the forms.

Drop Offs:

You can drop you package off at any Post Office or request a pick up.

PS FORM 2976

Under 1 LBS

PS FORM 2976-A

Over 1 LBS

January 2019 Customs Form Update: People who ship to military destinations at USPS retail locations using hard copy customs forms (2976, 2976-A, 2976-B), will be requested to use the 2976-R. The Postal Clerk will be required to enter the data into the postal service systems. Source: Director, Global Trade Compliance, USPS Headquarters