How To Ship Packages To Your Soldier Safely and Easily

The U.S.P.S. is a wealth of resources for helping get packages to our soldiers. ALL it takes is a phone call to receive free boxes, tape, and labels.

I've utilized this for the past 3 years, and the Click-n-Ship feature on USPS.com, as well as being able to complete your customs forms online, is fabulous!

The information on the Military Care Kit is taken from their website:

Military Care Package Kit Since Priority Mail service supplies are the packaging of choice for families preparing care packages for service members overseas, the USPS has created a "Mili-kit" based on the items most frequently requested by the military. The kit contains: Three (3) each of flat rate boxes O-FRB1 and O-FRB2 Two (2) each of Cube boxes OBOX7 Address labels - Label # 228 8 each Address labels - Label # 106-A 1 each Customs FORM 2976-A 8 EA. Customs FORM 2976-E 8 EA. The kit may be requested by calling 1-800-610-8734 (Packing Supply) and: Choose your language (1 is English, 2 is Spanish). Choose option 1 (it states it is for Express Mail service, Priority Mail or Global Express Guaranteed). When you reach a live agent, request CAREKIT04. Please allow 7-10 days for delivery. Note: These are free supplies, postage must be affixed. Additionally, you can find guidelines for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops at USPS Supporting Our Troops.

Click-n-Ship To make this the most effective, you really should register. You'll have the option to save the addresses you use the most, which makes filling out the shipping information a breeze! After you've packed everything up, (sometimes flat-rate boxes are the best, and sometimes you're better off using regular priority boxes, which are free for the asking) you can weigh the package on your kitchen (or bathroom) scales if you don't have a postage scale. Then you can simply fill in the information, pay with your debit or credit card, and hit the print button. You have a label printed out on regular paper, which you tape to the box. Then, you're off to complete your APO/AE Customs Forms. For the first few times, the customs forms take a bit of figuring and patience. The important this is that if you use the online form, make sure you print out all 5 copies (and I always save the .pdf as a My Documents file so I have a backup). The USPS will stamp each one and put them in the plastic envelope. If you're going to leave the package for your mail person (which is perfectly ok), just scotch tape the customs envelope with your forms to the box for the clerk to finish up.
This will truly save you tons of time, and if you have little ones at home, they'll love helping pack and carry the packages to the mailbox!
A note here about Priority Mail. You're going to hear rumors that they take the same amount of time as parcel post, but this normally is not true. Priority Mail will go through Customs faster, because they ship separately from mailbags and parcel post items. Don't expect it to arrive in 2 or 3 days, however! Sometimes it will take 3 or 4 days, and sometimes it will take 10. Parcel Post packages on the other hand, may take weeks. Since the new postal rates are in effect, Priority Mail items are usually priced only a dollar or two more than Parcel. It's well worth the nominal additional cost.