Please note:

This website was set up to get parcels to Australian Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen/Airwomen deployed overseas.

You are welcome to cut and paste information and use it to support sending parcels to our service members serving overseas, however, when you do cut and paste please link back to Ocean Sky & Khaki to acknowledge OSK, and so that people can find the blog themselves.

If there are questions one of us will answer if you comment on a post at the blog.

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Friday, December 9, 2011

2011 CHRISTMAS MAILING - COMMENCES 7 NOVEMBER - DEADLINE IS 9 DECEMBER

Received information from the Department of Defence regarding the Christmas Mail deadline.

I understand that the Christmas Mail is held and distributed to the members on Christmas Day.

Aside from the regular goodies to send (see here for "What to Send?", NOTE: don't use the addresses at this link for Christmas Mail!), we have had feedback that Ausralian lollies like Minties are really appreciated, snack foods like tinned flavoured fish (the small tins), biscuits, especially Tim Tams, are like gold. A book or magazine is also appreciated. Good coffee sachets and flavoured coffee sachets are appreciated, and packs of different types of tea (English Breakfast, Russian Caravan, Earl Grey, Oolong, Peppermint, etc), and flavoured tea (rose hip, raspberry, peach, etc), are liked by some, too. Sand Scarves are appreciated, too. Please see below for instructions if you're handy with a needle!

Please note, the addresses below will only be active for the Christmas Mailout from November 7 to December 9, 2011.

All the parcel regulations that apply to the other day mailings apply to the Christmas Mail.

The format of the address is as follows:

For the Middle East:
An Australian Defence Force Member
Good Will Mail
Middle East
AFPO 60
Australian Defence Force NSW 2890.
For Timor Leste:
An Australian Defence Force Member
Good Will Mail
Timor Leste
AFPO 61
Australian Defence Force NSW 2890.
For the Solomon Islands:
An Australian Defence Force Member
Good Will Mail
Solomon Islands Operations
AFPO 62
Australian Defence Force NSW 2890.
Please check Australia Post prohibited items at  the Aus Post international post guide.

The following items are  prohibited to all destinations due to safety and customs issues:
aerosols
cigarettes
clothing other than socks

The following items are prohibited to Middle East destinations:
alcohol
pork
magazines with naked women
any religious materials 

Sand Scarves and how to make a sand  scarf!We have heard a bit about sand scarves, these are appreciated by the soldiers as they protect from dust and dirt. If you are handy with your sewing machine you may be able to whip a couple of these up and send them in a parcel, they can be used for barter, too! Here's a link. Please note  that with the sand scarves, the sandy taupe/fawn/tan/sage green (very pale grey-green) coloured ones would be the best for the Middle East and possibly greens for the Timor and Solomons. (These can be used like old sweat rags were.) Here is the pattern information from Soldier's Angels. Please pay attention to the instructions on the fabric to use, it MUST be 100% cotton, do not use any synthetic blends.

Thanks so much for visiting and thanks for your support. We're still around, just leading busy lives!

If you have any questions, corrections, or I've missed anything please let me know!

Update: All you need to know about what to send is here: http://oceanskykhaki.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-information-you-need.html, please note that the addresses at this link are not the Christmas addresses.

UPDATE: Some info and images from Soldiers' Angels site which include sand scarves. http://soldiersangels.org/scarves.html

UPDATE II:
The boxes are now sold as Bx2 (not BM size).

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are we able to gift wrap the items in the care parcel etc soap so the scent doesn't go onto the food items , my work place is hoping to get 10 care parcels together . We haven't done this before . Do we have to write for Aussie Troops on the box , any tips would be much appriecated .
Sue

kae said...

Hi Sue

I wouldn't gift wrap, takes up weight. Just put the soap in a ziplock bag. If the food items are sealed they should be OK.

The addresses given by DOD to AFPOs are to Australian Field Post Offices, they only go to Australians.

I buy a pack of envelopes (100 self seal letter size) and little note pads (A5) of writing paper ($2 for a pack of six from Crazy Prices) so that if they can reply they have something to write on - and plenty to write home if they can't get to internet access.

The boxes have the address lines on the front and on the back the sender's details can be filled in. One person must complete the customs' douane and sign the douane and the box and must present their driver's licence.

All the information you need is here:
http://oceanskykhaki.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-information-you-need.html Please note that the addresses normally used are not the Christmas addresses.

kae said...

OOps
I split the envelopes up ten to each pad of paper. If I can I put them in ziplock bags, too. They're handy for the troops.

Chrissi said...

Hi
Ive never sent a care package to troops and i was wondering what kind of things would you include in a christmas care package? Anything in particular or just the same things as mentioned on your blog? Anything you would or wouldnt send?

Also i wanted to check something. I have alot of Thats life mags i can send but my husband also has zoo magazines, i know youve said no naked women, and ive checked, these women arent naked but if youve seen the mags they are ikin clad a bit provockotive. Would these class as Do Not send? Just want to clarrify, cause i know my hubby n bro in law like these mags, but they arent dirty mags. Thanks for any help you can give me :-)

kae said...

Hi Chrissi
Aside from the usually recommended stuff you could send one of those mini plum puddings (the ones which keep on the shelf of the shop), a santa hat from Crazies or the Reject Shop ($2 for two), I've sent little wire/tinsel Christmas trees (you have to fold one side of them to fit them in the box) and some decorations for the little tree. Just remember that the parcel must weigh 2kg or less.

Your magazines could be sent to the troops, but I wouldn't risk sending Zoo to the Middle East, send them to Timor or the Solomons, but just use the regular address for "An Australian Soldier" - you could bundle them up with brown paper and send them as a parcel and keep them under 2kg. That's Life could be put into the boxes for the Middle East, but they're heavy and if the puzzles are done I'd just bundle them up in the brown paper up to 2kg and send them like the boxes but wrapped in the brown paper.

Chrissi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
kae said...

Hi Chrissie
I'll just say that burning copies of DVDs and music CDs is illegal!
I buy movies from the cheap shops for $2 each (usually two movies on each DVD), they're usually really old movies and I look for something that might interest blokes, because most of the soldiers are blokes.

Chrissi said...

Thanks for replying.

kae said...

Hi Chrissi
I hope I didn't embarrass you!
Your question is a legitimate one. I can't say "yes" to something on this blog which I know is illegal.
I hope you understand and I hope that makes sense to you.

Chrissi said...

Hi Kae

No no not at all, I completely understand, and of course it makes perfect sense. I was just curious, but when I thought about it, its obvious and I completely understand

Anonymous said...

Sand scarfs, do you have a picture?? also i asked my future son in law, posted in middle east and he hadnt heard of them but did say if it would keep his neck warm as it is now getting cold it would be great.

kae said...

I can't really find a good image... but this is a link to some US soldiers/marines who are wearing them.
http://soldiersangels.org/scarves.html

Katren said...

Is there no Christmas address for Afghanistan?

kae said...

Hi Katren
The Middle East address is the one for Afghanistan.

Katren said...

Thanks Kae.

TAILS FROM THE DOGHOUSE! said...

Hi sorry I just want to organize to send some things from my dog boutique for the dogs and handlers what is the Christmas address for this? I also want to let people know on my website etc and the local Christmas parade, could you please send me the correct info so I can get parcels together for Christmas becs@barkingmadberry.com.au
Thank you so much

kae said...

Hi Becs
All the information you need on addresses is in the post above.

TAILS FROM THE DOGHOUSE! said...

Ok thanks I'm just confused is that dog handle address all year or Christmas thanks again

kae said...

Hi Becs
The Good Will Mail AFPO addresses of 60, 61 and 62 are the Christmas mail addresses. The mail is hsld and distributed on Christmas day.
If you want your parcel to be for a dog handler you can add K9 or Dog Handler to the "An Australian Defence Force Member" line.
Same if your parcel is for a female, but please remember, there are many more men than women in the Middle East.

Kanani said...

hi as well as christmas packs can we also send christmas cards to those address's?

kae said...

Hi Kanani
I'm sure you could also send cards to those addresses.
Remember that the postage is free in Australia.

EB said...

Hi there,
I'm doing up a Christmas package but can't find info of the dimensions of a BM Australia Post parcel box (I believe that Aust Post are now calling their parcels B x 1, B x 2, etc). Can you please let us know the maximum size in cm (HxWxD)?
Many thanks.

kae said...

Hi EB
It is the Bx2 box, quoted as $2.25 for the box.
http://auspost.com.au/personal/packaging-materials.html
I'll update the website when I can.
Thanks EB!

Gregoryno6 said...

I was well organised this year - got the parcels out early November, so they should arrive in good time for Christmas. Not very fancy this time around. Except for the calendar of course!