APO / FPO Military Mail Explained
What is an APO address or an FPO address? APO stands
for "Army Post Office," and is associated with Army
or Air Force installations. FPO stands for "Fleet
Post Office," and is associated with Navy
installations and ships.
What does "APO" mean?
"APO" stands for "Army Post Office". It is normally
followed by a number which serves as a code for a
particular military unit or installation. APOs were
often mobile, and moved with the units to which they
were attached. Thus, a cover with an APO
cancellation could have been mailed from any of
several different locations, depending on the date.
Other abbreviations that mean basically the same
thing are MPO (Military Post Office) and BFPO
(British Forces Post Office).
Military addresses must show the grade, full name
with middle name or initial, and PSC number, unit
number, or ship name. Replace the city name with "APO
" or "FPO," and the state with "AA," "AE," or "AP,"
and use a special ZIP Code.
All APO / FPO shipments must be made by using the
United States Post Office (USPS).
Please note that some items cannot be shipped by APO
/ FPO. If you have questions, please contact us
before placing any order so we can answer your
question.