I just submitted my Letter. Now what?
Our Sandboxx fulfillment team goes to print at 4:30 PM EST every weekday, Monday through Friday. It's important that you submit your Letter before 4:30 PM EST in order to process, print, pack, and ship your letter the same day.
What are all of these "statuses" and what do they mean?
We're happy you asked! Here's a quick rundown of our statuses, what they mean, and what you can expect.
Processed - This is what begins right when you submit your Letter and continues until our next print. Be sure to submit it before the printed deadline. That's when we go to the final print!
Printed - Your Letter has been printed and is awaiting shipment.
Shipped - Your Letter has departed our headquarters Fed Ex location on the East Coast.
Delivered - Your Letter has been successfully delivered to the base mailroom.
Are there any other statuses?
Yes. There is an "On hold" status. It only occurs if the Letter address has been flagged by our sorting algorithm as questionable for delivery. Here's what that means:
*On hold - Your Letter has been flagged by our system since your address appears undeliverable. Don't worry, we handle these promptly as they come in.
*Letters remain in this status until the address is deliverable.
When can I expect to see my Letter delivered to my destination?
The following are processing and shipping times for Fort Benning, Fort Jackson, Fort Leonard Wood, Great Lakes, Fort Sill, JBSA Lackland, MCRDs San Diego and Parris Island, and Cape May, NJ.
Letters sent Monday through Thursday before 4:30 pm EST will be delivered the next day.
Letters sent Friday before 4:30 pm EST will be delivered on Monday.
Letters sent Friday after 4:30 pm EST (to include letters written on Saturday/Sunday) will be delivered on Tuesday.
What about processing times for other bases?
Bases not related directly to boot camp (ones not listed above) are sent via regular mail.
We are actively working with the bases to coordinate FedEx delivery so we can get your letters faster to the destination.
What if I get a tracking notice about a "delivery exception?" What does that mean?
This simply means that the mail room recipient was either i) not available and therefore could not receive the mail, or ii) the delivery could not be delivered for another reason like no access to the base.
What happens next after this "delivery exception?"
Don't be alarmed! Our shipping vendor will re-attempt the delivery at the next possible opening. It usually gets resolved, if the "delivery exception" happens, later that day. If not that day, within a day or two at most. :-)