Is there anyone that has had first hand experience legally sending souvenirs home from Afghanistan within the last year or so?  I am particularly interested in antique cartridge firearms.  As I understand it, you must legally purchase the firearm and then fill out a DD Form 603-1.

It's been a while, so things could have changed (hard to keep up with the revolving door of command) but the last known (to me) requirement was that you possess a C&R license.  Basically, the military (and JAG specifically) got out of the firearms approval business.  If it's OK on a C&R, it's OK.

That said, after several years over here, I have yet to find much that I would want to purchase, even as a souvenir and far less that is reasonably priced.  I guess non-gun guys don't realize that you can purchase viable, functional, operating, modern firearms (back home) for what they are willing to pay for broken Arabicized Martinis and worse.

I would ask the P.O. as they are the ones that see them out the door so to speak.  Up in Bagram they used to set up at the bazaar with a one stop JAG/USPS shop.  I have not seen that anywhere else.

Good luck.

As of 3 weeks ago when I sent my latest antique firearm home.

1. Buy it and ask Haj to package it but not tape it shut
2. Take it to post PMO for their inspection.
3 Take the pre-filled affidavit that the PMO will give you to JAG to notarize certifying it as an antique
4. Take form back to PMO where they'll make 4 copies, one for inside the box, one for outside the box, one for them and one for you plus you keep the original.
5. Take all that to the Post Office where they'll inspect all that and make you send it Registered Mail.

HTH