Plan early to get Christmas to the war zones

[unhappycamper]

Plan early to get Christmas to the war zones
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Nov 4, 2008 17:19:26 EST

Military families — like retail managers — have to plan for the holidays early.

The first deadline for mailing packages to Iraq, Afghanistan and other points overseas so that your loved ones get them by Christmas is coming up Nov. 13. Last call for cards and gifts to the war zones is Dec. 4. Families shipping to Europe, Latin America and the Pacific have until Dec. 11 — longer if they’re willing to pay extra for express service.

Military postal officials are expecting "a bit" less holiday mail to be sent to Afghanistan, Iraq and ships in the theater this year compared with 2007.

"People aren't spending as much money," said Air Force Lt. Col. Mary Gould, chief of the transportation division for the Military Postal Service Agency. "It's the economy."

As such, MPSA doesn't expect to have problems obtaining the airlift capacity to get mail to the theater, Gould said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/airforce_holidaymail_deadlines_110408/%2e