How to send mail to an FPO from abroad?

[Blue Stocking]

Hello everyone,

Not-so-longtime lurker here. I'm breaking my silence to ask a question which I have not received any useful information on as yet from other sources, so hopefully my chattiness will not be in vain!

My question is what it says on the tin: how do I send mail to an FPO from an overseas location? I know all about sending it domestically, but I am a bit confused as to what the protocol is when sending mail from abroad. I'm asking this because I'll be outside the US for about a year, and I would like to send my pilot friend some letters and stuff while I'm away. How would I send a letter to an FPO from say, France? Do I just write the address, or would I need to add something extra, like add "USA" on the last line?

 

[Beans]

I think just adding USA will do it. Once the USPS has it they'll know what to do.5

 

[Blue Stocking]

That makes sense, but I was worried that by adding that it would be sent through a different mail system. I don't my mail to be lost in the great abyss.

 

[villanelle]

It is just like sending a litter to any American address from overseas. I tack "USA" on the end, just as I would when sending mail to the States from overseas (because that's effectively what you are doing).

You an inquire at the local French post office to be sure, but I'd leave out the bit about it being an FPO because it is likely to confuse them and it isn't relevant. You are sending mail to the US, and the City/State is FPO, AP (or whatever). Nothing special or fancy about it, or different than any other mail from France to an American address.

 

[BusyBee604]

That makes sense, but I was worried that by adding that it would be sent through a different mail system. I don't my mail to be lost in the great abyss.

No sweat BS, they route FPO mail from a broad exactly the same as from a dude!