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Mailing the Coupons
Where do I send them?
Please adopt a base. See the Adoption Page.
Send them to your adopted overseas base. It costs the same to send them to the base that it does to send them to your next door neighbor. The bases are U.S. territory. If you send them to the OCP headquarters then OCP must find the same postage to re-send them to the base. That wastes your postage and effort. There are times when no one volunteers to donate the cost to forward coupons mis-sent to OCP.
Cheapest
The cheapest way to send your coupons is via "Parcel Post". Since this method takes much longer to travel to its destination, please make sure that you send coupons that are no more than one month expired on the date of shipping if you use Parcel Post.
Fastest
A fast method of shipment is to use the Priority Mailer that the Post Office has. They have envelopes/boxes that allow you to place as much in them as you can for a fee.
Contact your local post office for the current prices per pound and best suggested methods of mailing. They will give you this information by phone.
Post Office Requests a Name
If
the Post Office requests a name for the address we have furnished,
explain that the package is going to a "Position" not to a
"Person." It is "Official Mail." By military regulations
(DMM 703, Section 2.2.1) military mail must conform to domestic
standards. Only mail to personnel requires a name with the address, but
this is Official Mail to a department which does
not. The domestic standard for official mail is DMM 602, Section
1.4.2 which states, "addressee name or firm
name." The Department at a base represents the "firm." The "Commanding General" may be changed as the military
wishes but mail to the Commanding General is for that position not for
John Smith who may now be a civilian. It is the same as mailing
something to "Postmaster" at your zip code. "Official mail" goes
to the position not to the man who may change at any time, his personal
mail goes to his name. The coupons are also
Official Mail for that base and go to their charitable "department." If a person is a part of the address
we have placed that person's name with the address on our site. If
there is no name, then we do not have one.
Mail is Returned From the Base
We are not part of the military. This is a civilian run assistance
charity. We do not always know about base closures or problems.
Sometimes mail is simply mis-directed by the Post Office or mishandled at
the base. You are our best resource. Please let us know
about any problems that you have since we may not be aware of them.
We will try to solve the riddle but it will take a while (month or
more). Please remail your coupons to a
different base if you think that is best. We work on that type of
problem as time or necessity allows.
Customs Form Needed
The U.S.P.S. also requires Customs Form 2976-A be attached to the outside of the mailer when sending directly to a base overseas. Use the description "Manufacturer's Coupons" and record the value as "--$0.00--". Be sure to check the "Gift" box on the form and for them to return the coupons if there are problems if using Priority Mail. This will allow time to resend them to another base.
Confirmation of Receipt
For information on this see the "Confirmation Requests" page.
How To Mail (best method)
1. Obtain a "Priority Mail" pouch or box.
2. Place base address (base page) and your return address on the mailer.
3. Fill out customs form 2976-A (From, To, 1 = Manufacturer's Coupons, 2 = Pkg, 4 = $0.00, 5 = Gift, 9 = $0.00, 10 = Return to Sender, 13 = sign & date)
4. Take to Post Office and mail.