Banned Zip Codes for Military Care Packages
Thousands of military care packages sent from loved ones to military members in combat zones are (at press time) stranded in transit. Military members in hostile fire zones related to the war of choice in Iran are not getting regular mail service, according to multiple sources.
As combat operations expand, the Military Postal Service Agency and the Department of State have suspended service to designated overseas ZIP codes. If you don’t check the list before you send, your package risks delay, loss, or non-delivery. At press time, nearly 30 military mail destinations are not operational. Our Q&A below answers some of the most common questions about this situation and who it affects.
Banned Zip Codes for Military Care Packages
The Military Postal Service Agency and the Department of State suspended mail service to 28 military ZIP codes and 17 Diplomatic Post Offices because of combat operations. All 28 restricted military codes represent Army or Air Force post offices. Operational needs and security constraints regularly alter transport flights and ground links, forcing postal authorities to halt incoming flows to forward positions.
What happens if someone attempts to mail a box to a suspended ZIP code?
Counter systems identify the restriction immediately. If a customer presents a package addressed to a suspended code at a post office counter, the automated system alerts the clerk, who hands the carton back to the sender.
Are stranded packages returned to the people who sent them?
The U.S. Postal Service says cartons accepted before a suspension took effect are held in storage facilities for future delivery once the halt lifts. “No packages are being returned to sender at this time,” according to official sources. Packages placed into collection drop boxes also move into storage rather than returning home.
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How do senders check if an overseas postal code is active?
Senders must check the service alert page on the United States Postal Service official site before packing. The Postal Service does not publish geographic base names alongside APO, FPO, or DPO numbers. This is a forced security measure, and senders must have the specific five-digit ZIP code where they want to send the mail.
How must families address parcels sent to deployed forces?
Labels must include the service member’s full name and rank, unit assignment, and box number. Never include foreign city names or host countries on the label. Senders enter APO, FPO, or DPO in place of a city, and select AA, AE, or AP for the state. Do not send boxes to “Any Service Member” as every parcel requires a named recipient.
What customs documentation accompanies military care packages?
Parcels weighing more than sixteen ounces require an electronic customs declaration. In August 2020, the Military Postal Service Agency banned handwritten customs forms on overseas military mail. Customers must enter package weight and monetary values into Click-N-Ship or the USPS Customs Forms Online system before visiting a counter. Counter clerks reject boxes bearing handwritten paper slips.
Which items cannot enter Middle Eastern operational zones?
Host-nation customs laws and military safety rules bar several standard goods. Legal prohibitions in the region ban pork and pork by-products, including pork jerky and canned meat. So-called obscene photographs, alcoholic beverages, and unauthorized political publications are confiscated during inspection.
What physical packing hazards exist in combat theaters?
Packages will experience rough handling and intense desert heat. Senders must seal every cardboard seam with two-inch-wide reinforced packing tape. Twine, cord, and paper wrapping detach in mechanical sorters and are not permitted. Flammables, perfume, and aerosol cans are prohibited. To prevent food from spoiling in desert heat, senders tend to choose hard candy, nuts, dried fruit, and powdered drink mixes.
What postal rates apply to overseas military shipments?
Military mail travels at domestic postal rates, even when sent overseas. Senders pay standard domestic postage for overseas Army Post Offices, Fleet Post Offices, and Diplomatic Post Offices. The Postal Service discounts its largest Priority Mail flat-rate box sent to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses.
Suspended Postal Addresses
If you need to send a care package to any of the following ZIP codes, check with the U.S. Postal Service first to see if that ZIP code has been removed from the “banned list,” which includes both diplomatic and military post offices. This is not a complete list; it reflects the data the U.S. Postal Service displays on its official site at press time. The actual list of military ZIP codes not currently accepting mail includes but is not necessarily limited to:
- 09312
- 09874
- 09880
- 09306
- 09316
- 09330
- 09365
View the entire list at the Postal Service official site.
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About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
