Coming soon: Holiday mailing deadlines Published Oct. 30, 2007 Army and Air Force Exchange Service DALLAS, TX -- While the holidays may still seem far away, for Americans hoping to show support to deployed troops some deadlines are rapidly approaching. According to the Military Postal Service Agency, mail going parcel post must be sent by Nov. 14 and first class mail must be sent by Dec. 10 to arrive by Dec. 25. In addition to deadlines, several other factors must be considered when sending mail overseas. For example, each country has customs regulations that apply to all incoming mail, pertaining to everything from food items to reading materials. Military units may also have additional restrictions on incoming mail as to size and weight. Finally, all packages and mail must now be addressed to individual service members as required by the Department of Defense. To help facilitate the mailing process and avoid many of the obstacles that come with the traditional care packages, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service created "Gifts from the Homefront," a campaign that allows anyone to make a direct and tangible contribution to military morale with a gift certificate that can be redeemed for nearly anything a specific service member wants. AAFES operates 53 facilities in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Gifts certificates can be sent to deployed troops by logging on to http://www. aafes.org or calling 1-877-770-4438. "Gifts From the Home-front" gift certificates can be redeemed at exchange facilities worldwide.