Going Postal - Getting that Comfort Package to Iraq!

Going Postal - USPS in the News!
May 22, 2007 (See end of report)

When you visit the USPS website, you may be in for a surprise. Granted, out in middle America where Postmaster Bob knows everyone in Littletown, USA this may be painless. For most military destinations, you can do everything online: Buy the postage, print the shipping label and required US Customs forms and hand your box to you regular letter carrier. Sounds simple enough, right? Beware of the pitfalls. First, let see what the "Official USPS" website has to say about the process:

Our troops look forward to receiving your letters and packages. That’s why it’s important to make sure your mail gets there, to the right person, in the right place.

The Department of Defense has issued the following guidelines for addressing your mail to military and civilian personnel deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Use the service member’s full name. The Department of Defense cancelled the Any Service Member program so mail must be addressed to someone specific.

Include the unit and APO/FPO (Air/Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office) address with the nine-digit ZIP Code™ (if one is assigned). Click-N-Ship® customers should be advised that the Postal Service and the Military will continue to add and update valid APO/FPO addresses for your online labels.

Include a return address.

For packages, print on one side only with the recipient’s address in the lower right portion. Or print a postage-paid label online with Click-N-Ship®, which will automatically standardize your APO/FPO address if it has been added to our database. (Please note that ZIP Codes 093XX and 964XX are currently unavailable for electronic labels. We apologize for the inconvenience.)

ZIP Codes 093XX

Oh boy... now what? Oh, and what about that required phone number and that Zip+4? Welcome to the Twilight Zone of Going Postal.

Check back later this week for more... there breaking news on the horizon and the world may be flat after all! In a conference call today (May 22nd) our USPS Consumer Affairs District Office Manager arranged a conference call with one of their IT technical support professionals to clearly define our mission and the improvements needed to "Click and Ship" to previously unavailable zip code in Iraq. Congress Representative Matsui's staff will also receive updates on USPS progress and we narrow the gap.