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Service for UDP squadrons : Postal Information

Service for UDP squadrons : Postal Information

The post office here provides the members of UDP squadron with efficient, full-service postal support. This page outlines important information pertaining to deploying Marines and sailors, as well as their family members who will remain behind in CONUS.


To unit postal officers:

General information:

  • The unit postal officer needs to keep us well informed in writing of all off-station deployments involving either the entire squadron, or a small detachment from the squadron as far in advance as possible. The written mail routing requests can submitted to the Station Postal Officer, Attn: Operations Chief by hand to hand transfer mail or e-mail from either the unit postal officer or assistant officer. Always give as much advance notice as possible (2-4 weeks is ideal).
  • As soon as possible after unit's arrival aboard MCAS Iwakuni, the unit postal officer and/or assistant unit postal officer is required to contact the Station Post Office (Bldg 610) to discuss the general issues pertaining to postal support for your unit (such as mail routing issues, mail call times, etc). At that time, we will also be able to answer any questions regarding postal support.
  • Your mailroom will be inspected at least quarterly while aboard MCAS Iwakuni. We recommend you arrange for pre-deployment mail room inspection through your local serving Post Office prior to departing CONUS (Continental United States), to ensure your mail room/mail clerks are fully prepared for your deployment.
What you have to submit:

As soon as possible, please provide the following items to the post office, MCAS Iwakuni;

  1. Copy of unit postal officer (and assistant) appointment letters.
  2. Copy of unit official mail manager (and assistant) appointment letter.
  3. One original DD Form 285 for each currently appointed unit mail clerk.
  4. You are asked to stay in touch with us each time your unit relocates to a new deployed location throughout the West-Pac tour. We will need a telephone number in the event we need to contact you for any reason.
Note:
  • Remind your squadron personnel not to modify their mailing address from what they were originally issued in CONUS, and never to adopt another unit's mailing address.
  • When your unit redeploys to CONUS, you must plan to take (embark or hand carry) all equipment and supplies back with you, or ship them through the TMO, or other official channels. Sending large amounts of supplies and files (including the CMCC files) back to CONUS through the official mail system is extremely costly, and is not authorized. Since we are not funded to accommodate those types of very expensive and unnecessary mailings, it is important that you plan ahead and make every effort to embark all your gear back with you. Please disseminate this policy to all who may have a need to know.
  • While in West-Pac, all personnel are advised to avoid sending anything of value through the Intra-theater Delivery Service (more commonly known as free "MPS Mail"). Although this free delivery service is available throughout West-Pac (except Guam & Hawaii), personnel should be aware that they cannot file an indemnity claim for the loss of or damage to their "MPS mail" or its contents. Sending items of value through normal postal channels (with an appropriate amount of postal insurance) is always advisable.

To service members of UDP squadrons:

FPO AP address

  • Use of the proper address content and format is essential for efficient, problem free mail service while deployed overseas. Prior to your deployment, your home station's Military Post Office will issue your unit an FPO Mailing Address for use throughout the deployment. It is very important that you and your correspondents use this mailing address exactly as it is given to you, and resist the temptation to modify it in any manner. Never include geographical locations (such as Iwakuni Japan) in your mailing address, as doing so may cause misrouting problems or result in your stateside correspondents being charged much higher International postage rates unnecessarily. It is highly recommended that you inform all of your personal correspondents of this.
  • During your deployment to the Western Pacific, your unit may participate in various deployments away from MCAS Iwakuni. It is very important that you never change or modify your mailing address for these short deployments. Doing so, may result in your mail being delayed or misrouted.
  • Finally, please remind all your correspondents to neatly and legibly print your mailing address on all mail they send you. They should avoid using script, cursive, calligraphy, and other similar writing styles, as they are often very difficult to read and may also cause mail delays and/or misrouting. It's always best to type mailing addresses whenever possible; otherwise, neat block-style print (in all capital letters) should be used.
Change of address notifications:
  • Just prior to your unit's scheduled departure from your current CONUS duty station, all deploying personnel who are authorized to receive their personal mail through the unit mailroom should send out written change of address notifications to all personal correspondents (including all family, friends, banks, magazine publishers, and creditors) to notify them of their new FPO mailing address. Your stateside Post Office can furnish you with free change of address kits for this purpose.
  • Personnel, who reside in government quarters or off-base housing, simply need to check into the mailroom prior to deployment, adopt the unit's mailing address for the receipt of personal mail. Address change notifications to banks, creditors, magazine publishers, and other personal correspondents are not required unless the service member (and his/her spouse) desires to have mail from these correspondents sent directly overseas. Otherwise, it will continue to be delivered to the deployed service member's family at his/her stateside mailing address.
  • All personnel should remember to always make address change notifications in writing and notify all correspondents of the importance of using the proper address content and format (including a 9-digit ZIP Code) on all personal mail.

Mailing restrictions during deployement:

During your deployment to the Western Pacific, your unit may participate in various deployments away from MCAS Iwakuni. The below are the restrictions to the possible deploying countries;

Mainland Japan and Okinawa:

  • Customs Declaration Form 2976-A is required for all personal U.S. Mail weighing 16 ounces or more.
  • Customs Declaration Form 2976 or 2976-A is required on personal U.S. Mail. Articles are liable for customs duty and/or purchase tax unless they are bona fide gifts intended for use by military personnel or their dependents. When the contents of a parcel meet these requirements, the mailer must endorse the customs form, "Certified to be a bona fide gift, personal effects, or items for personal use by military personnel and dependents," under the heading, Description of Contents.
  • Fruits, animals, and living plants are prohibited;
    • Meat products, such as dried beef, salami, and sausage, may be mailed, provided they remain in their original, hermetically sealed packages and bear USDA certification. Other meats, bones, skin, hair, feathers, horns or hoofs of hoofed animals, and wool samples are prohibited.
    • Obscene material (including drawings, films, photographs, and carvings) is prohibited.
    • Tobacco leaves, including chewing and pipe tobacco, snuff, cigars and cigarettes are prohibited. Exception: Up to 200 grams of tobacco per parcel are permitted duty free.

Republic of Korea:

  • Customs Declaration Form 2976-A is required for all personal U.S. Mail weighing 16 ounces or more.
  • Customs Declaration Form 2976 or 2976-A is required on personal U.S. Mail. Articles are liable for customs duty and/or purchase tax unless they are bona fide gifts intended for use by military personnel or their dependents. When the contents of a parcel meet these requirements, the mailer must endorse the customs form, "Certified to be a bona fide gift, personal effects, or items for personal use by military personnel and dependents," under the heading, Description of Contents.
  • Securities, currency, or precious metals in their raw manufactured or not are prohibited. Official mail shipments are exempt from this prohibition.

Kingdom of Thailand:

  • Customs Declaration Form 2976-A is required on all mail weighing 16 ounces or more.
  • Firearms of any type are prohibited in all classes of mail. Contact your local Post Office for a definition of the term "firearm" as recognized by the U.S. Postal Service. This prohibition does not apply to firearms mailed to or by official U.S. Government agencies.

Australia:

  • Customs Declaration Form 2976-A is required for all personal U.S. Mail weighing 16 ounces or more.
  • Customs Declaration Form 2976 or 2976-A is required on personal U.S. Mail. Articles are liable for customs duty and/or purchase tax unless they are bona fide gifts intended for use by military personnel or their dependents. When the contents of a parcel meet these requirements, the mailer must endorse the customs form, "Certified to be a bona fide gift, personal effects, or items for personal use by military personnel and dependents," under the heading, Description of Contents,
  • Securities, currency, or precious metals in their raw, manufactured or not are prohibited. Official mail shipments are exempt from this prohibition.
  • Meats, including preserved meats, whether hermetically sealed or not, are prohibited.
  • Mail of all classes must fit inside a mail sack. Contact your local U.S. Post Office to inquire about specific size limitations.Fruits, animals, and living plants are prohibited.
  • Registered mail is prohibited.

  • Deploying personnel are encouraged to notify all their friends, family members, and other correspondents of the mailing restrictions shown above, in the event your squadron deploys to one of these areas. Incoming mail is routinely screened by customs officials and is subject to being opened, searched, and seized if it is suspected of containing any restricted or prohibited material. Additionally, the mailer and/or the addressee may also be subject to prosecution under customs/import laws.
  • It is requested that the information outlined in this Web Page be disseminated as widely as possible throughout your command, as well as to the family members of all deploying personnel. Unit Postal Officers are encouraged to print this page and provide a copy to each deploying service member as far in advance of your unit's deployment as possible (distribution at unit pre-Deployment Briefings or Family Days are encouraged). Please advise all personnel to read it thoroughly and carefully, as it contains some very useful and important information. In addition, please check out all the pages in our Web Site as each contains good information for personnel deploying to MCAS Iwakuni.
  • All postal-related questions regarding your unit's deployment to West-Pac, should be referred initially to your unit Postal Officer.