You’re expecting a delivery from USPS and you have received a “Tendered to Military Agent” tracking update.
What does this mean exactly? Where is your mail item when you receive this notification? You are not military personnel, has something gone wrong?
Let’s take a look…
Summary: Tendered to Military Agent
There are two scenarios for a “Tendered to Military Agent” update to be triggered. The first is simple, the recipient is military staff (or family). The mail item has been tendered to a military agent for delivery. The second is where the recipient has no connection with the military. Here the “Tendered to Military Agent” update has been triggered in error, or the item has been physically routed through a military agent by mistake, (or in rare instances as part of the transit route to the civilian address).
Tendered to Military Agent – Guide
As the summary states, there are two main scenarios surrounding this update.
If the item is destined for military personnel or family, the “Tendered to Military Agent” update will not come as a surprise.
In fact, you are unlikely to even Google search the alert and reach this page.
The mail item is moving as it should and USPS has handed it over to a military agent so that final delivery can take place.
In other words, everything is going according to plan.
But the Recipient isn’t Connected to the Military!?
This is where the “Tendered to Military Agent” update can obviously be confusing.
Whether you are the sender that is aware that the recipient has nothing to do with the military, or a recipient that lives nowhere near a military base, receiving the update can be a cause for concern.
There are some simple explanations for the anomaly:
1. Postal Worker Using an Incorrect Code
A common cause of the error is that the postal worker simply made the wrong selection in terms of the order.
Whether this is the delivery driver not adding the correct code, or an issue earlier along the transit route, the error has caused the wrong tracking update to be sent out.
Physically speaking, the mail item will not be with a military agent, it will be in a USPS facility or in transit towards the correct address.
When it receives its next scan at whatever junction that may be, an appropriate tracking update will be triggered and you will know that the item is making the correct progress.
However, if you do not wish to wait for the next scan to ascertain the location of the item, you should contact USPS for clarification.
2. Mail Item Routed Through Military Agent by Mistake
The “Tendered to Military Agent” alert can also be triggered if the mail item actually has made its way to a military agent in error.
This outcome can cause frustration and delays as you now have to go through a different process to retrieve the item and have it sent to the correct address.
While you can contact regular USPS to confirm that the mail is with a military agent, you will likely have to go through the USPS military arm, in order to get the item moving again.
To do this, enter your tracking number at this web address.
Select the “Where is my package” option and fill in the details so that a USPS case in relation to the military will be opened.
It may take a few days, however, once USPS has the location of the item they will be able to reroute it out of the military base and onward to the correct delivery address.
3. As part of the Transit Route
On very rare occasions a mail item will make its way to a non-military address with a military agent forming a step in the delivery chain.
It is unusual, and again you should contact USPS for confirmation on why you have received the “Tendered to Military Agent” update if you have no affiliation with the military.
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Final Words
When the “Tendered to Military Agent” update is triggered for the correct circumstances, it simply means USPS has handed over the mail item to the military as the recipient is affiliated with the military.
Where no affiliation exists, the update has either been triggered in error by the postal service or has ended up at a military base in error.
Either way, you will need to contact USPS to obtain confirmation of where your package is and if any other steps need to be taken.
I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂
