Google search didn't tell me much, other than that they confiscate any military equipment, including body armor when transiting through DXB.
I want to stick some gear during my next leave in my check-in luggage; just worried that they might take it away/get arrested.
I have no intention of carrying the gear on my carry-on and leave the airport.

FYI, I am not military, but deployed in Paktya Province.

If I am posting in the wrong forum, please feel free to direct me elsewhere

I have no personal experience because I was warned beforehand... a guy I know ended up in a private room with security folks when the x-ray picked up a bayonet in his checked luggage. His options were, surrender it or be held (likely surrendering it in the end anyways).

Why not just mail it?

Transit through Kuwait instead?

Kuwait didn't care about body armor 10 years ago.  I would do a check to make sure they still don't care tho.

The last time I tried to mail it through USPS to the APO it got rejected and sent back stateside, something to do with customs.
Took nearly three months to fly back to the sender address.

Also flying through Dubai is the cheapest; Turkish Airways charge at least 2k USD for a roundtrip ticket to DC

Its hit or miss in carry on luggage but I havent heard of anything lately with regards to check in luggage.  If you take Fly Dubai via DRS (I think thats the agent at LNK/KAF) then you can pay to have your luggage transferred to your CONUS flight without having to check it in yourself at DXB.  

I also second the mail option.  I've mailed back stuff before without issue....I always pay the extra for priority mail though instead of Space A.

Edited to add...just saw that you mailed things to you via APO.  Yea, there are some ITAR issues there with some stuff....pack it in your checked luggage.

You are absolutely right; ITAR is a constant worry and I try to be mindful.
I'm just worried that whatever I check in (not carry on) would become an issue transiting DXB on my way back into AFG.
But thanks for the useful information on check-in luggage.

So you're stateside and trying to send it over here?

That is correct, and I will be on my next leave.

Ah, ok... I thought your OP said you were over here... it's much tougher to get that stuff out of the US than it is to get it in the US because that can be used against us and I believe it's a state dept thing...

Dubai is going to be the end of me...
I guess not many people are risking "testing" the system as the risks associated with it are too high.

Leave that shit home

Disregard , leave it there if your coming back.

This, the risk of a confiscation is high if flying through Dubai

I landed in Dubai last year, spent the night, then flew on to Afghanistan on DFS the next morning with my body armor in my checked in luggage and didn't have any issues and that included going through security and x-ray the next morning.  The airport layout has changed since then so if you are traveling via DFS to AFG you DON"T have to go through security prior to checking your bags in at the DFS counter and picking up your boarding pass.





Do you have an ITAR letter from your company allowing you to export (which is what you are doing when you carry it out of the US) your body armor to AFG for the purposes of working on a government contract?  Don't even think about taking your body armor abroad without that letter.  The last time that I checked you could mail your body armor from AFG back to the US via the APO but not the other way around.  Last year the APO's here in AFG got really strict about ITAR and started revoking APO privileges of companies whose employees committed ITAR violations.





If I read your post correctly you are here (AFG) in country and are planning on bring body armor back with you while on leave correct; if that's the case talk with your local APO and you may be able to mail it from home if you include an ITAR letter with the body armor when you ship it from home.





If you decide to carry it in your checked in luggage make sure that you have your CAC, your LOA, and your ITAR letter.



For those recommending "mail it" mailing the body armor without an ITAR letter is still an ITAR violation; it's stupid yes but the penalties are very strict and just not worth the risk when it's easy enough to have your company print out an ITAR letter for your use.





Good luck.

 

Thanks for the very detailed reply, and I completely agree that these rules have to be followed.
I can tell you that after speaking with the Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and the DSS RSOs from my previous duty station that Level IIIA body armor is not subject to ITAR restrictions.
Level III and IV armor such as hard plates and any other piece of equipment designated as ITAR restricted under ITAR Part 121 require explicit approval (i.e. Ops Core Fast XP Ballistic Helmets, etc.)

My company just about had kittens when I refused to hand carry my Interceptor body armor and ESAPI plates to Afghanistan last August unless they provided me with an ITAR letter; four hours after I got off the phone with them I had a specific ITAR letter in my email in box authorizing me to ship/carry my armor.  A lot of people tend to blow off ITAR but if they get caught it could have dire consequences for their security clearance and no security clearance means no good jobs.  Good luck on your travels.



 

Hey, sorry for re-opening an old thread, but it would be awesome if you told us how it went. I’m approaching the end of my deployment and was thinking about going through Dubai,
Did you end up taking it in your checked baggage and had any issues?

The only thing the post office will not allow you to mail is NBC gear. Just take it to your sustainment center and declare what's in the box and you will have no problems.