- Reaction score
- 7,766
- Points
- 1,360
Courtesy of the keeners at the Federation of American Scientists (Steve Aftergood, in particular):
Free Mail for Troops Overseas
Nye Stevens, Congressional Research Service, 22 Aug 06
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS22203.pdf
Summary:
Members of the armed forces on duty in designated combat areas can send personal
correspondence, free of postage, to addresses in the United States. There has never been
a comparable provision of free postage for letters or packages sent from family members
in the United States to loved ones in wartime service overseas. Two bills (H.R. 923 and
H.R. 2874) have been introduced that would allow family members and, in the case of
H.R. 2874, certain charities to send letters and packages to servicemen and women in
combat zones free of postage.
In a markup on September 29, 2005, the House Committee on Government Reform
reported H.R. 923 in amended form as a bill that would allow service members overseas
to send vouchers to family or loved ones that would be redeemable for the postage
expenses of one letter or 15-pound package per month. The text of H.R. 923 later
passed the House as sections 575, 576, and 577 of H.R. 5122, the FY2007 Defense
Authorization Act. The version of H.R. 5122 that passed the Senate on June 22, 2006,
does not contain the provision relating to mail for service members overseas.
Free Mail for Troops Overseas
Nye Stevens, Congressional Research Service, 22 Aug 06
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS22203.pdf
Summary:
Members of the armed forces on duty in designated combat areas can send personal
correspondence, free of postage, to addresses in the United States. There has never been
a comparable provision of free postage for letters or packages sent from family members
in the United States to loved ones in wartime service overseas. Two bills (H.R. 923 and
H.R. 2874) have been introduced that would allow family members and, in the case of
H.R. 2874, certain charities to send letters and packages to servicemen and women in
combat zones free of postage.
In a markup on September 29, 2005, the House Committee on Government Reform
reported H.R. 923 in amended form as a bill that would allow service members overseas
to send vouchers to family or loved ones that would be redeemable for the postage
expenses of one letter or 15-pound package per month. The text of H.R. 923 later
passed the House as sections 575, 576, and 577 of H.R. 5122, the FY2007 Defense
Authorization Act. The version of H.R. 5122 that passed the Senate on June 22, 2006,
does not contain the provision relating to mail for service members overseas.
