Overseas Christmas Mailing Deadlines Listed

The Postal Service has issued its calendars for Christmas mailing deadlines.

Parcel Air Lift, or PAL, packages destined for members of the Armed Forces overseas should be mailed by Dec. 1, the Postal Service said.

A package qualifies for a PAL super-saver flight if it weighs less than 30 pounds and is 60 inches or less in length plus girth. Regular parcel post rates apply with an air service fee between 30 cents and $1.20.

Smaller packages up to 15 pounds qualify for a similar but less expensive airlift to the military. Mailers should mark the package “Space Available Mail.”

Packages mailed from a military post outside the 48 contiguous states cannot weigh more than 70 pounds or be more than 100 inches in combined length and girth.

The mailing deadlines:

PACKAGING

A free “Packaging for Mailing” pamphlet, available from the post office, contains elaborate instructions.

General guidelines, however, include these:

--Paperboard boxes, similar to suit boxes, are acceptable for easy and average loads up to 10 pounds. Metal-stayed paperboard boxes are acceptable for easy and average loads up to 20 pounds.

--Wood, metal or plastic boxes are acceptable for all types of loads depending on their ability to withstand forces of shock and pressure.

--The size of the box must be adequate to contain the item and provide enough extra space for cushioning material.

--Good, rigid used boxes with all flaps intact are acceptable.

--Mailing boxes available at the post office for modest prices come in various sizes.

--Fiberboard tubes and similar long packages are acceptable providing their length does not exceed 10 times their girth.

--Cans and drums are acceptable with positive closures.

--Cushioning absorbs and distributes forces caused by shock and vibration. Cushioning materials: foamed plastics, rubberized hair, corrugated fiberboard, and loose fill material such as polystyrene, excelsior and shredded newspapers. When several items are in one package they must be protected from each other as well as from external forces by cushioning. Don’t package fragile items with heavy ones.

--Tape is used for closure, sealing and reinforcement of containers. Don’t use cellophane or masking tape. Pressure sensitive, filament reinforced tape is recommended. Kraft paper tape and reinforced Kraft paper tape are two other types recommended by the Post Office.

--The mailer should be marked by a material that is not readily water soluble and does not smear easily. “It must be sharp and clear at a distance of 30 inches,” the pamphlet says. It is also recommended that the name and address of the sender be inserted within the package to aid in delivery if the address on the package is defaced.

--Mark “fragile” on any package containing delicate items such as glass or electrical appliances. “Perishable” markings go on any package containing items that will degrade or decompose rapidly, such as meat, produce, plants and chemical samples.

--Words implying expedited handling, such as “RUSH,” “DO NOT DELAY” shall not be used on any package except those intended for shipment as special delivery or special handling mail. OUTBOUND MILITARY MAIL

Destination Priority Parcels & Letters PAL SAM Surface Africa Dec. 2 Nov. 11 Nov. 4 Nov. 4 Alaska Dec. 9 Dec. 2 Nov. 25 Nov. 25 Hawaii Dec. 9 ----- ------ Nov. 25 Australia Nov. 25 Nov. 11 Nov. 4 Oct. 18 Carib.-W. Indies Dec. 9 Nov. 25 Nov. 18 Nov. 18 C.& S. America Nov. 25 Nov. 11 Nov. 4 Nov. 1 Europe Dec. 6 Nov. 25 Nov. 15 Nov. 1 Far East Dec. 6 Nov. 25 Nov. 15 Oct. 18 Greenland Dec. 2 Nov. 25 Nov. 18 Nov. 1 Iceland Dec. 9 Nov. 25 Nov. 18 Nov. 1 Mideast Nov. 29 Nov. 4 Oct. 28 Oct. 28 S.E. Asia Nov. 25 Nov. 8 Nov. 4 Oct. 18

INBOUND MILITARY MAIL

Destination Priority Parcels & Letters PAL SAM Surface Gateway Points Dec. 13 Dec. 11 Dec. 2 Dec. 2

OUTBOUND CIVILIAN INTERNATIONAL MAIL

Destination Air.Pkgs. Air.Ltrs.&.Cards. Surface. N.-N’west Africa Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Oct. 18 Australia Nov. 25 Nov. 25 Oct. 18 Caribbean-W. Indies Dec. 11 Dec. 11 Nov. 11 Cent.& S. America Dec. 4 Dec. 4 Nov. 4 Europe Dec. 2 Dec. 6 Nov. 4 Far East Dec. 2 Dec. 6 Oct. 18 Mideast Nov. 25 Nov. 29 Oct. 18 Southeast Asia Nov. 25 Nov. 25 Oct. 18 Southeast Africa Nov. 24 Dec. 2 Oct. 18 West Africa Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Oct. 18