Deadline for Christmas mail: Dec. 4

[unhappycamper]

Deadline for Christmas mail: Dec. 4
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 3, 2007 17:54:02 EST

If you’re sending holiday presents, cards or letters to a service member in a war zone, do it by Tuesday.

That’s the U.S. Postal Service’s suggested deadline for sending priority-mail packages and first-class letters and cards to get them to their destinations by Dec. 25. That applies to ZIP codes starting with 093, which are all areas of contingency operations. The suggested deadline to send priority-mail packages and first-class cards and letters to those who are not in contingency-area ZIP codes is Dec. 11.

Dec. 4 is also the suggested deadline for sending packages by Parcel Airlift Mail to military areas overseas, except for the contingency areas, where the deadline was Dec. 1.

These are suggested deadlines; it could take your packages and letters less time — or more time — to get where they’re going. Postal officials strongly advise families to consider these deadlines because of the volume of mail moving during the holiday season.

You might want to consider flat-rate priority mail packages, available in two different sizes. You can put as much as you can fit into the boxes and ship it, regardless of weight, for $8.95. The boxes are free at any post office or online. You can also order a specialized “Military Care Kit” with free flat-rate boxes, address labels and customs forms, by calling [phone]. Otherwise, you can check mailing costs online.



Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/12/military_christmasmail_deadline_071203w/