POSTAL SERVICES IN ANSBACH AND IN ILLESHEIM
There are two USPS offices at USAG Ansbach, one at Katterbach Kaserne and one at Storck Barracks. At Katterbach Kaserne the Community Mail Room (CMR) and USPS Office are separate. The CMR and USPS Office at Storck Barracks are combined and considered a Postal Service Center (PSC). There are no USPS Offices at Shipton Kaserne or Barton Barracks.
USING MILITARY MAIL TO SHIP PACKAGES TO APO/FPO ADDRESSES:
“Military Mail” is a general term for the class of mail that is sent to APOs and FPOs, not a class of mail in itself. The Department of Defense requires all Military Mail packages to include the full name of the soldier, his/her unit, the APO/FPO with a 9-digit zip code and a valid return address. APO/FPO addresses have “AA,” “AE” or “AP” listed where a state normally would be on an address label.
While you don’t need to fill out a customs form if you’re sending a letter via Military Mail, you do need to fill this form out if you’re sending a package that weighs more than a pound. You should list everything in your package on the form, as well as its final destination. Your parcel must be given to a USPS employee in order for it to be mailed to an APO/FPO.
Military Mail is a way for the average person to send mail to men and women serving in the armed forces who are stationed abroad without incurring additional postage fees. People deployed in the military also can use this service to send mail to other members of the military who are abroad for free. Packages can be sent by Military Mail to Army Post Offices (APOs) for people serving in the Army or Air Force and Fleet Post Offices (FPOs) for people serving in the Navy and missions in the water
Military Mail is the only way for a package to get mailed to an APO or FPO. UPS, FedEx and other shipping services aren’t able to send packages to this USPS offshoot. Packages sent by Military Mail must be less than 70 pounds and cannot include perishables, alcohol, firearms or explosive materials. Some APO/FPO addresses have additional restrictions.
Arrival time of Military Mail packages depend on the destination of the package or letter. Packages sent through First-Class Mail and Priority Mail typically take between 10 to 15 business days. Priority Mail Express, which is only available to certain destinations, takes 3 to 5 business days and Parcel Select Ground takes about 24 business days.