What Is an APO?
Having friends or family members who serve in the military can be a very trying experience, especially when they are called to serve overseas for an extended period of time. APOs, or Army Post Offices, are created wherever troops are stationed around the world to allow soldiers to stay in touch with loved ones back home. Military mail is a very streamlined process that allows for quick and effective delivery of mail overseas.
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History
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In the past, each military department was responsible for getting mail delivered to its employees around the world. In 1980, this changed when the Department of Defense assigned the Secretary of the Army to manage all military mail, which in turn created the Military Postal Service Agency. The Military Postal Service Agency manages the budget for overseas mail and follows not only the rules of the United States Postal Service, but also the laws of the countries in which they deliver mail.
Service
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The Military Postal Service Agency currently serves as an extension of the United States over 85 countries. Since the Military Postal Service must conform to regular U.S. Postal Service standards, special addressing formats have been devised. All overseas troops have been divided into three theaters, the equivalent of American states. The troops in the Americas are given the abbreviation of "AA," the troops in Europe are given the designation "AE," and the troops in the Pacific are given the abbreviation of "AP." Within each of these "states," there are two "cities" for each: "APO," which stands for Army Post Office and serves troops on the ground, and "FPO," which stands for Fleet Post office and serves troops on the water.
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Processing
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Given the large amount of mail sent to the armed forces, each state---Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific---has been designated a real city to have as the logistical center for its mail. All AA mail is routed through Miami. All AE mail is routed through New York, and all AP mail is routed through San Francisco. In order to ease processing, each of these "states" has been given a ZIP code similar to the ZIP codes of these cities so the United States Post Office can deliver the packages. At this point they are turned over to the Military Postal Service for delivery.
Postage and Inspections
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All that is needed to send a piece of mail to a military address is a first class stamp---the same requirement as is needed to send a domestic piece of mail. There is also a flat-rate mailbox that is available for packages that is actually offered at a $2.00 discount for APO and FPO addresses. Most mail is not inspected. Letters are only inspected if they appear bulky, and packages are spot-checked to ensure that no contraband is being delivered.
Restrictions
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Each military ZIP code has its own restrictions on what can and can not be sent to troops in that area. Some of these restrictions are general to all military areas. These items are generally contraband, such as drugs. However, sometimes these restrictions are tied to the region's culture. For example, pork and pork products as well as materials contrary to the Islamic faith that could be distributed are prohibited because of the Islamic culture in the area.
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