Throughout your tour on Okinawa, postal services will be of significant importance to you. The following information is a guide to assist you in understanding the capabilities of the overseas U.S. Mail system so that you may use the postal services provided to your best advantage.

Your mailing address is the most important factor for you to receive timely and efficient mail services. Your correspondents and publishers must have your complete and correct mailing address in order for you to receive mail in a timely manner. Personnel serving on accompanied tours qualify for a post office box, while those here on unaccompanied tours will receive their mail through their assigned units' mailroom. Both types of mail service require your timely submission of changes in duty status, i.e. leave, TAD, transfer, etc. Each system will provide you with an authorized address you must use to receive your mail. Deviation from these addresses will affect your mail service. For prompt service, you must check out with your mailroom in the U.S., leaving the address for the major command in Okinawa.

If you are on an accompanied tour, send a copy of your orders and area clearance to your sponsor as soon as possible so that the sponsor can arrange for your post office box. You should advise your local post office as well as relatives and companies with whom you do business of this new address.

When checking out of a mailroom or at your serving post office, ensure that one Change of Address Card is sent to your gaining command. Be sure to include the estimated date of arrival. Upon arrival, you should personally check-in with your new command's mailroom. By doing so, you will ensure that all appropriate mail handling activities will have a record of your presence and current location.

Mail service here on Okinawa is relatively consistent; you can expect to receive your letter mail, on the average, in 6-7 days. Parcels mailed Priority or First-Class arrive in approximately the same time. Parcels mailed Space Available Mail (SAM) or Parcel Air Lift (PAL) average 12-15 days. Surface mail, which is Parcel Post or Third Class and Fourth Class is transported by ship with transit times between 45-60 days.