If you want to send a gift to a soldier this holiday season, you better send it soon. It can take anywhere from 7 to 20 days to send a package to Iraq or Afghanistan. The shipping times can vary based on military aircraft schedules and unit movement. Letters tend to take 10-13 days to arrive, while packages can take 10-20 days. The package will have to travel from the local post office, to the gateway for overseas packages, then to a military postal unit before it is delivered. So send your packages soon if you want them to arrive overseas by Christmas.