Military Care Packages

Military care packages sent to an APO FPO DPO address are easy - you just have to know what items to send - and where to send your package.

In short, you need:

• An accurate APO or FPO address.
• Stuff to send.
• Boxes and labels.

Alternately, if you don't want to ship items yourself - one of the sites below will do it for you.

• Note that the old "Any Service Member" address no longer works. The Post Office eliminated this function a long time ago for for security reasons.
• The good news is that the site that created the idea still exists - they just changed with the times (see below).
• Many of the other sites below do similar things by way of linking up with units and select personnel down range - and at forward deployed bases in Germany and Korea - to ensure stuff gets to single soldiers who don't have family back home.

And, yes, we still have bases in the Sinai, Kosovo, Bosnia - and beau coup other places around the globe.

Here's the PDF Checklist from the rather huge effort being put forth by the Adopt A Platoon.org web site.

Here's the original "Any Soldier" web site that now supports sending military care packages to specific service members and units. Here's their About page detailing their historical efforts.

You can also send to someone you know through a professional Military Care Package organization such as the Blue Star Moms (contact info on their web page).

The Freedom Alliance military care package program was founded by LTC (retired) Oliver North, and sends "Gifts from Home" care packages “full of most-requested and much-needed items, such as prepaid international calling cards, candy, toiletries, games, non-perishable food items, Germ-X hand sanitizer, books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, greeting cards and notes of appreciation and thanks from caring Americans all across the country, and much more.” Their site notes that they “shipped more than seven tons of … care packages … overseas” last year. And here's their Facebook page.

Here's a Hub detailing how to order the "military care kits" that are available from the U.S. Postal Service.

If you're looking for ideas for field gear to send service members, here's a Hub with one example idea. and Hub with a whole list of field gear ideas (maybe email the articles to someone to see what they need?).

The USO offers a huge effort to send stuff down range, as does the U.S. Troop Care Package organization. The Troop Care Package site has a cool list of stuff to send if you already have an APO/FPO address available and want to ship stuff on your own.