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JBSA News
NEWS | Nov. 13, 2017

‘Mail early’ the message for timely delivery of Christmas packages

By Robert Goetz 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

With the holiday season drawing ever closer, it’s time for the families of service members deployed overseas or assigned to installations outside the United States to prepare their cards and packages for delivery to their loved ones in time for Christmas.

            As always, the advice at United States Postal Service offices is “mail early.”

            “Bring your packages and your patience,” said Jeff Sanna, USPS sales and services associate at the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph postal facility. “It’s going to be busy, but that’s the Christmas season.”

            USPS is expecting an even busier holiday season than last year, with an anticipated 10 percent uptick in parcels, Sanna said, attributing much of that increase to a continued surge in online shopping.

            The postal service expects to deliver more than 15 billion pieces of mail this holiday season, including 850 million packages, he said.

            For the timely delivery of priority and first-class mail, USPS recommends mailing cards, letters and packages to Air/Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office and Diplomatic Post Office ZIP code 093 no later than Dec. 4 and to other APO/FPO/DPO ZIP codes by Dec.11.

            Other recommended deadlines are Nov. 27 for space-available mail, Dec. 4 for parcel airlift mail and Dec. 16 for Priority Mail Express Military Service, which is available to selected military and diplomatic post offices.

            Domestic mailing deadlines for delivery by Christmas are Dec. 14 for standard post, Dec. 19 for first-class mail, Dec. 20 for priority mail and Dec. 22 for priority mail express.

            For packages sent to military members overseas, the postal service offers a discounted price of $17.35 on its largest priority mail flat-rate box, Sanna said. That price includes a $1.50 per box discount for mail sent to APO/FPO/DPO destinations.

            USPS also offers a free military care kit for presents and care packages, available by calling 800-610-8734. The kit contains two priority mail APO/FPO/DPO flat-rate boxes, two priority mail medium flat-rate boxes, priority mail tape, priority mail address labels and appropriate customs forms.

            The postal service advises special care in sending packages to APO/FPO addresses. The service member’s full name should be included along with the unit, APO/FPO address and nine-digit ZIP code, but not the country’s name. A return address is required.

            Sanna said he expects long lines at the JBSA-Randolph post office during the holiday mailing season, but he said customers can facilitate the process by having their documentation for overseas packages ready by the time they reach the counter.

            Retail hours at JBSA USPS locations are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, 1804 Stanley Road; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at JBSA-Lackland, 2261 Hughes Ave.; and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday at JBSA-Randolph, 220 B Street West.