The PO worker said I couldn't put "Any Chaplain" in the redirect space because it has to be a specific name or title. She was fine with Commanding Officer, NCOIC or even Chaplain without the word "any" before it. Her interpretation of the rule was that this would be the same as addressing the package to "Any Soldier" with no name. 

She was very nice, BTW, and fascinated to learn that I was sending gym shorts to a medical facility.  Just another interpretation of the rules.

Pam 

Thanks for the info on your experience. I'm still wondering what to do with this box on the Customs Form (2976-A).  I've been completing the form on-line and you have to fill-in a complete address to redirect (can't just say Chaplain, NCOIC, etc....) The only other option with the on-line form is return to sender or the dead mail file.   Perhaps I'll have it redirected to one of my other contacts.  Not sure what happens if both people have moved on....

Hmmm...my PO didn't object to "Any Chaplain."  To the contrary, she actually said that was a great idea and she would start recommending that to others as they came in.  Maybe ask your contact for the name of another soldier next in command at that same address?

I put "Unit Chaplain" on all of my forms. I am not sure if it is correct, but I have never had a PO worker say anything about it.

-Tricia

We typically put "Nearest Chaplain," "Local Chaplain," or simply "Chaplain." We haven't had a problem so far.

My PO suggested that I use Chaplin along with the FOB name (if one) along with the APO/FPO and the zip code.  This qualified as a complete address.

 

I have looked up troops that have the same zip code and try to find one that does the same job or asks for the same items and the leave the area date, is about the same time frame.  This way hopefully the package doesn't have to travel very far to get to someone who can use it.  I also send something to the redirect address and do the same thing in reverse.

 I really would LOVe to see consistency in the PO requirements. If you live in a small town, seems you can get away with more. If  take it to my really local PO, I have to spell out the contents of everything plus how many of each item and the value. If I take it 5 miles up the road, they only ask for contents.  They both want "Commander" or "Chaplain" in the redirect box. No big deal. But I'd like to know that I could toss a box in my car and go to Any Post Office and have my box pass muster.

 

Has anyone ever heard back from a chaplain and/or found out that the box was successfully re-directed to the Chaplain?

On the redirect space I always put:

Chaplain or C.O.
(then insert the address of the soldier)

 

Before I found anysoldier, I sent things to a chaplain. I didn't understand the mail cutoff and sent one last box before he came home. I put "give to chaplain," but it came back eventually. Now he WAS the chaplain, but I figured he was being replaced and they would give it to the new guy. Wrong.

So that's the bad news. The question was does anyone have evidence that it worked.

Mellie

Hi, Mellie!

My post office told me about a year ago to check the "Treat As Abandoned" box, AND the "Redirect to Address Below:" box, and then write "Any Chaplain". My group left just before Thanksgiving (they were scheduled to leave early January). I had shipped off a couple boxes for Christmas, not knowing they left early. Long story short, the boxes never came back to me, so I'm hoping some Chaplain in the area had a few extras to hand out!

Debt:

Hi, Mellie!

My post office told me about a year ago to check the "Treat As Abandoned" box, AND the "Redirect to Address Below:" box, and then write "Any Chaplain".

My understanding is that checking the 'Treat as Abandoned' box means it gets shunted off into never-never land. I'm surprised they would recommend checking 2 boxes - seems like it could cause confusion. Anyway, I ask to have the box returned to sender so I can redirect it to someone with a valid address. None of mine ever came back though, and I sent about 16 packages. 

The bad thing about choosing "Return to Sender" is that you have to pay for return postage.  If you aren't sure, why not put an address of another contact in the same country. 

A few years ago before I knew about AnySoldier.com, I had sent some boxes to the son of a friend of mine.   I researched and found a site that said to mark the boxes something like this.  "If soldier has redeployed, DO NOT RETURN TO SENDER, send to commander and redistribute to troops."

I think it would be good to put a big "DO NOT RETURN TO SENDER", redirect as instructed on customs form. 

Sometimes they have forwarded packages to troops who have returned home and they receive them months later.

 

How in the owrld could you FIT another contact's address in that little "redirect" box?  I've sent lots of packages adn just wrote "Commander" in the box. 

One scary thing happened: I had two boxes returned when I sent them to my brother-in-law when he was stationed in Iraq. Scared to think "why????" But as it turned out, I had two little numbers switched in the zip code. Wrote it wrong on box 1, then copied that one onto box 2. Stupid. Don't mess up the address at all!!!