USPS recommends Christmas mailing dates for deployed troops

The United States Postal Service has released its recommended dates for sending Christmas mail to troops overseas, according to a report by the American Foreign Press Service.

First class and priority mail for service members stationed in Afghanistan must be postmarked by Dec. 4 to arrive by Christmas. For parcel airlift mail, the deadline is Dec. 1, and space-available mail must be sent by Nov. 21. Parcel post mail to all military overseas locations should be shipped by Nov. 13.

USPS officials remind those sending packages overseas to use strong boxes without writing, wrapping paper, or string on the outside, pack contents tightly and store perishables in leak proof containers, and print their return address and the service members name without rank, followed by the unit and APO or FPO delivery address on one side of the package.

For general guidelines on sending mail to service members overseas, click here.