By Maj Jenny Pakes
Experience has shown that some types of Christmas wrapping paper don’t stand up well to sending overseas.

The National Welfare Coordination Centre (NWCC) recommends you double wrap your packages. Once with the Christmas paper and an outer wrapping of strong plain packing paper. Mail for personnel deployed overseas should be of a personal nature (for personal use only).

Items of a humanitarian or aid nature must not be sent via the Defence network. This material should be sent via the civilian mail service and normal postal charges will apply. Senders should make sure your mail is addressed correctly and if appropriate, a duly completed Customs declaration must be affixed. A full list of prohibited and restricted items is available at any Australia Post outlet.

If you have any questions regarding mail for overseas deployments a quick call to NWCC may save you time and undue stress.

The following are the latest closing dates for Christmas mail to reach personnel deployed overseas:

• AFPO 1 (Israel) AFPO 2 (Butterworth, Malaysia) AFPO 4 (Bougainville, Papua New Guinea) AFPO 7 (Sinai) should be posted to reach Sydney no later than December 13. Australian domestic rates of postage apply (you will be charged at the rate needed to get the article to Sydney)
• AFPO 5 (East Timor) should be posted to reach Sydney no later than December 6. Free postage for all items up to 20kg
• AFPO 10, AFPO 12 (post no later than December 6); AFPO 14 should be posted to reach Sydney no later than December 13. Free postage for all items up to 1kg. If the item is more than 1kg normal Australian domestic rates of postage will apply on the total weight

• Contact NWCC for 24-hour access to a call operator 1800 801 026

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