Sending son a care package overseas.

What is the best way to send?

UPS
USPS
FED Ex ???

I've had issue with sending him stuff when he is in the states with Fed Ex (for some reason the drivers can't follow directions to get stuff delivered to the correct location on base).

Understand it will likely take several weeks. This is not a Christmas package so if it's after the 25th no big deal.

Thanks

agracer said:

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Sending son a care package overseas.

What is the best way to send?

UPS
USPS
FED Ex ???

I've had issue with sending him stuff when he is in the states with Fed Ex (for some reason the drivers can't follow directions to get stuff delivered to the correct location on base).

Understand it will likely take several weeks. This is not a Christmas package so if it's after the 25th no big deal.

Thanks

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Ask your son. His US mail is most likely delivered to a central military post office on base where he picks it up. I never had any problem sending/receiving via USPS, but I wasn't Navy.

74OA said:

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agracer said:

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Sending son a care package overseas.

What is the best way to send?

UPS
USPS
FED Ex ???

I've had issue with sending him stuff when he is in the states with Fed Ex (for some reason the drivers can't follow directions to get stuff delivered to the correct location on base).

Understand it will likely take several weeks. This is not a Christmas package so if it's after the 25th no big deal.

Thanks

---

Ask your son. His US mail is most likely delivered to a central military post office on base where he picks it up. I never had any problem sending/receiving via USPS, but I wasn't Navy.

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MARINES!!!!

agracer said:

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74OA said:

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agracer said:

---

Sending son a care package overseas.

What is the best way to send?

UPS
USPS
FED Ex ???

I've had issue with sending him stuff when he is in the states with Fed Ex (for some reason the drivers can't follow directions to get stuff delivered to the correct location on base).

Understand it will likely take several weeks. This is not a Christmas package so if it's after the 25th no big deal.

Thanks

---

Ask your son. His US mail is most likely delivered to a central military post office on base where he picks it up. I never had any problem sending/receiving via USPS, but I wasn't Navy.

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MARINES!!!!

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Ok, but FPOs are run by the Navy, right?

Yep only way to go. When my husband deploys, I give each kid a box and they put whatever they want in it for daddy and off it goes. Super cheap, super easy.

Here are some things that I sent to my sailor son via USPS Flat Rate Box when deployed:

Jerky
Coffee
Tea
Hot Chocolate Packets
Slim Jims
Cheez-Its
AA & AAA Batteries
Microwave Popcorn
Hershey's Chocolates
Other Candy
M&Ms
Ramen Noodles
Cereal/Granola Bars
Nuts
Canned Salsa
Thumb drive with podcasts

No glass items...and nothing that melts when it gets hot (hershey bars, etc.) unless getting them chocolate really matters?

We would put cookies and chocolate in Pringle cans. So if melted or bad, he could just toss it. Making cookies for daddy was more for our kids anyways to make daddy " happy"

I was working as a civilian with the USAF in SWA from 2011 to 2015. I'd stay--but the CE unit I was with would rotate every 4-6 months. Over a couple rotations, there was a problem with the host-nation customs that forced our mail to go only through military channels (i.e. gray tails). This resulted in a situation where mail would take upwards of 30 days to reach us from CONUS. Often, we'd hear stories of our palletized mail sitting on the ramp in (100+ degree heat) at one place or another (Bagram, Kandahar and/or Al Dhafra come to mind) for days/weeks--until a mission had enough free space to bring it to our base.

One rotation during this period, there was an LT that had heard by email that her family had sent a care package containing a plastic bag full of unpackaged Ghiradelli chocolate. She was anxiously awaiting its arrival. The package eventually arrived. I was there when she excitedly opened the package--to hold up a plastic bag full of liquid chocolate. Thankfully, the bag was unbroken

Being a very smart/practical Engineer, she immediately put it into the unit fridge/freezer. That thing hardened up nicely into a very large blob of solid chocolate. She'd happily pull the blob out of the freezer periodically--chip off a chunk and smile while she munched. Improvise, adapt, overcome--enjoy your chocolate!

well I didn't do the customs form so I hope it does not get side lined!

Interestingly, I sent something with Amazon prime as well, not sure if they did the customs form or now.

Now that I think about it, pretty sure we sent him something 2-years ago when he was overseas and did not fill out a customs form. Who do you even give that too when you send the package?

The package was just returned to me with an "INVALID OR CLOSED MILITARY DESIGNATED UNIT OR ZIP CODE" sticker over his address.

The box also looked like it had been drop kicked and beaten with a shovel.

Looking at the new stickers on the package, it got all the way to HNL before they sent it back to me.

Seven Costanza said:

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USPS is your only option.

You will need to fill out a customs form.

The cost will be whatever the cost would be to ship the item to NY or CA (depending on where he's located).

It likely won't take several weeks, but rather about 10-15 days.

You will only be able to track the package until it leaves the States.

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This. The last time my son was in Syria we sent two boxes USPS, had forms to fill out there, listed contents and both were shipped and delivered in country without issues. We included some goodies he could pass down to his guys and they appreciated that.

agracer said:

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The package was just returned to me with an "INVALID OR CLOSED MILITARY DESIGNATED UNIT OR ZIP CODE" sticker over his address.

The box also looked like it had been drop kicked and beaten with a shovel.

Looking at the new stickers on the package, it got all the way to HNL before they sent it back to me.

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Not sure where you are or where you're trying to send to but there's a good chance that's because Honolulu is the first time it went from USPS to Transcom to go overseas.

First off, I don't want to sound insensitive or offend anyone. But this thread makes me giggle. Last FOB I was at (twice in the past 12 months) I lost at least 4 packages. They were just never sent out to the site. Lost, stolen, opened? Hell who knows. Lesson is, don't trust APOs unless it's being sent to a large base and even then, don't trust APOs.