POSTAL DEADLINES FOR MAILING HOLIDAY PACKAGES TO MILITARY OVERSEAS

If youre a procrastinator when it comes to holiday shopping, listen up.. Mailing holiday packages overseas to service members will take a little longer. To ensure your packages arrive on time, they need to be mailed by November 13th. John Feig, Dothan Post Office Supervisor, says,"They cant put everything on airplanes because there are other priorities,like people, ammunition, and other military supplies and mail might take a slightly less important spot,". Postal Operations Employees ship approximatley 250,000 pounds of mail each day to Iraq. That number is expected to go up to about 325,000 pounds per day during the holiday season. Shopping early is only part of mailing holiday gifts overseas. There are tips on how you package your gift in order to ensure a faster delivery. Feig says it`s the smaller the package the better. "A shoebox size box is a good size," says Feig. Be sure to wrap well, use the right tape. Also, put an extra copy of your address inside in case the gift was inspected for some reason, they would know where to mail it. Remember to write legibly. The post office offers booklets that answer questions regarding proper package preparation and postage rates for customers who may have questions about mailing procedures. It`s also important to remember what cant be mailed. No chemicals, liquids or hazardous material will be accepted. Holiday shopping might not be on the top of your priority list, but if you dont act now, military family member might miss the joy of the holidays all together. "Theres nothing like getting letters, possibly sprayed with perume from a girlfriend or wife, to just carry around in their pocket and read over and over...so holidays are an especially good reason to write," says Feig. JANA JACOBS-REPORTER WDHN 18