Holidays are coming early to troops in Afghanistan this year with the Army's Dec. 1 launch of HooahMail, a one-way electronic mail service deliverable to personnel in Afghanistan.

HooahMail combines the convenience and speed of email with the tangibility of snail mail. This free service advertises same-day or next-day delivery of most letters and photos sent over the electronic server, as opposed to the average 14 days it takes to send a letter from the states to Afghanistan.

Though HooahMail can be delivered to anyone serving in Afghanistan, the goal of the program is to reach personnel on remote bases with limited Internet or mail access. Family and friends are permitted to include a digital photo, to be printed in black and white, with each letter they send through the electronic server. HooahMail machines will be placed in 10 strategic locations across Afghanistan to maximize the success of the program. HooahMail servers are secure and encrypted, and the equipment in Afghanistan automatically downloads, prints, and seals envelopes to ensure complete privacy.

HooahMail follows in the successful footsteps of Marine Corps’ MotoMail, a similar service for Marine Corps personnel serving in Iraq. The HooahMail pilot program is estimated to cost a mere $500,000. While this is a negligible cost relative to overall defense spending in Afghanistan, it will be priceless to the soldiers who used to wait weeks, and now will wait days, between correspondence from friends and family back home.

To access HooahMail, click here and create a free account: https://www.hooahmail.us/