Question for you former military

[Tksjewelry]

When you guys are stationed overseas at a permanent base, can you send stuff home via the USPS or is it still international shipping? My son just got his first posting, it's to Japan, and I'm going to have him grab some gear for me and ship it of possible or hold it and bring it home with him if the shipping is too crazy.

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[HokieUmp]

Well, I've never been active or retired, but I'm both a military 'wife' and a DoD civilian in my own right.  If he's at a base, he'll have APO privileges, and it'll be the same as mailing something in the US.  APO's are their own zone for shipping costs.  It won't be that much worse than mailing from somewhere in the States, cost-wise, and it won't add that much time, either, since there's SO much volume going back and forth between the US and folks stationed in Japan.

Which base in Japan?  I was at both Misawa and Yokota Air Bases.

[Tksjewelry]

Well, I've never been active or retired, but I'm both a military 'wife' and a DoD civilian in my own right.  If he's at a base, he'll have APO privileges, and it'll be the same as mailing something in the US.  APO's are their own zone for shipping costs.  It won't be that much worse than mailing from somewhere in the States, cost-wise, and it won't add that much time, either, since there's SO much volume going back and forth between the US and folks stationed in Japan.

Which base in Japan?  I was at both Misawa and Yokota Air Bases.

I'm not sure which base, didn't know there was more than one so I'll have to ask. (would his MoS mean which base? can I say what his MoS is publicly?) If you know any good umpire equipment places there, let me know. I'm still on the hunt for the elusive plate shoes.

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[jjb]

MOS means Military Occupational Specialty and has nothing to do with where he/she is stationed. It's what he/she is trained for. MY MOS was 5811: Military Police.

And my son shipped stuff from Afghanistan without any difficulty...

[HokieUmp]

15 hours ago, Tksjewelry said:

I'm not sure which base, didn't know there was more than one so I'll have to ask. (would his MoS mean which base? can I say what his MoS is publicly?) If you know any good umpire equipment places there, let me know. I'm still on the hunt for the elusive plate shoes.

I worked so little while I was at Yokota, I really didn't need gear.  And when I DID order, I - irony alert! - ordered from the States.  Since I can't read kanji, or speak Japanese, trying to find gear while there was kind of a waste of time for me.

Since you mentioned MOS, we're talking either the Army or Marines.  If he's a Marine, I would bet he's in Okinawa.  Army, I'd say near Tokyo at Camp Zama.  And there are dozens of US military facilities in Japan, when you count all the services.

[Tksjewelry]

I worked so little while I was at Yokota, I really didn't need gear.  And when I DID order, I - irony alert! - ordered from the States.  Since I can't read kanji, or speak Japanese, trying to find gear while there was kind of a waste of time for me.

Since you mentioned MOS, we're talking either the Army or Marines.  If he's a Marine, I would bet he's in Okinawa.  Army, I'd say near Tokyo at Camp Zama.  And there are dozens of US military facilities in Japan, when you count all the services.

Boy is in the AF, but most of the family is/was army. My sister speaks and reads Japanese fluently so I'll enlist her help.

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[MadMax]

On 5/23/2016 at 6:19 PM, Tksjewelry said:

When you guys are stationed overseas at a permanent base, can you send stuff home via the USPS or is it still international shipping? My son just got his first posting, it's to Japan, and I'm going to have him grab some gear for me and ship it of possible or hold it and bring it home with him if the shipping is too crazy.

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Tiff, where are you with this? I'm (several of us, even!) curious to hear what gear you're choosing! You could possibly become a Mizuno or Belgard sales coordinator.

[Ilbass22]

As a former military postal worker, he will be able to use the Army Post Office system. It is based on rates that we use in the normal system. It is just like us sending stuff! Just make a trip to the post office. The people in Korea are mailing the crap out things this way! We ran many mobile PO's during Desert Shield and Storm. I happen to have been the one that kept the records for one of the major divisions. We processed just over 16 million pounds of mail in about 6 months. Hell, I mailed most of my military stuff home so I didn't have to carry it!