http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/militarykit.aspThe United States Postal Service (USPS) will supply for free, to anyone who asks, specially packaged Priority Mail supplies for shipping "care kits" to members of the U.S. military stationed overseas. Each supply kit includes the following:
* 4 Priority Mail Flat-Rate "shoe box"-type shipping boxes
* 6 Priority Mail Flat-Rate "garment box"-type shipping boxes
* 10 Priority Mail labels
* 1 roll of Priority Mail tape
* 10 customs forms with envelopes
(The contents of the supply kits changes from time to time and sometimes includes other items, such as water-resistant
Tyvek Priority Mail envelopes and Priority Mail address labels. Most of these items are ordinarily furnished for free to customers by the USPS.)
To obtain a free kit of shipping supplies, simply call the USPS' packing supplies order line at 1-800-610-8734, select option #1 ("Express Mail, Priority Mail or Global Express Guaranteed products"), and ask a customer service agent for CAREKIT04 (or a "military kit"). You need supply only your name, address, and phone number, and they'll get a kit off to you that should arrive within 7-10 days. We've tried this service ourselves: it was easy to use, the USPS customer service agent we dealt with was courteous and efficient, and we were supplied with a customer ID number to expedite the process of ordering additional supplies. (This offer includes only packing materials — senders who use these materials still have to pay the requisite postage themselves.)
