Military mail

With the help of local donors and special shipping rates for Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office addresses, 24 Marines will receive an unexpected taste of home during the holidays.

It started when the family of local son, Cpl. Mike Gibbs, started putting together a care package and realized how many benefits were available through the U.S. Postal Service.

“I thought it was great they give a discount for the military,” said Gibbs’ mother, Angel Earls-Lewis.

For shipments to a military address, depicted by a zip code that begins with “9,” a large, flat-rate Priority Mail shipping box is just $16.75. The boxes measure 12 inches by 12 inches by 5 1/2 inches and hold up to 70 pounds.

“You can get creative and get all your stuff in there,” said USPS Customer Service Supervisor George Thompson. “There are a lot of tips military people can share.”

Families post online trade-packing secrets for getting the most out of the free Priority Mail boxes, from using bags of trail mix as packing material to shortening the baking time on cookies headed to the desert locations.

“I’m still packing – snacks he liked at home, non-perishables, hygiene products,” Earl-Lewis said.

A family member who had served in the military helped Earls-Lewis come up with a supply list, but it’s also important to be mindful of restrictions. Send the wrong thing, and a care package might never reach its destination.

“Common restrictions are things like aerosols, money and precious metals,” said Thompson said. “It depends on the country, too. Some things are prohibited. It’s best to check with your service people.”

And, what about service people with no one to get packages from? The young men in Gibbs’ platoon won’t have any worries, thanks to his friends and family here in Osceola. Late Thursday, Bobby Lewis posted a request online to fill 23 care packages for the marines serving alongside Gibbs.

People offered to donate and pack boxes. Businesses chipped in as well. West Side Tavern, Timber Ridge Country Market, Wal-Mart and others have offered to store or provide items for care packages, and Chuck and Karla Ciecalone of The Broken Spoke covered shipping costs for all 24 boxes.

Then, of course, there is the military, which manages to get mail to service members while ensuring their safety by using blind addresses known only to the armed forces.

“We deliver the packages to the Air Force, and then they airlift them by cargo mail,” Thompson said. “Thank goodness for the Air Force that they help us deliver the packages.”

To donate, volunteer or get an updated list of requested items, contact Bobby Lewis at (641) 223-0000.