The United States Postal Service (USPS) assigns each Navy ship a Fleet Post Office (FPO) address. According to the USPS, "the Department of Defense canceled the Any Service Member program, so mail must be addressed to someone specific." Navy ships still receive mail even if they are deployed or in a foreign port.
Print the service member's full name in the lower right portion of the letter or package. Include the service member's rank, if you know it.
Print the Navy ship's full name below the service member's name. Below the ship's name, print the FPO address. If you do not have the FPO address you need, the Navy provides a complete list of all Navy ship FPO addresses. The following example shows how you would print a letter or package to a service member being sent to a Navy ship.
Seaman Joseph Doe USS Alaska FPO AP 96698-2111
Print the sender's full name and return address in the upper left hand corner of the letter or package.
Visit a post office to pay proper postage necessary to mail the letter or package.
Tip
If mailing a package, write on only one side of the package.
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Writer Bio
Evan Salveson has been writing for various websites since August 2009, specializing in the military and health care. Salveson served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, aboard a submarine and as a Navy Instructor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in workforce education from Southern Illinois University. He is currently working towards graduating as a registered nurse.