Teamwork helps Manas handle holiday season mail surge

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Ruth Holcomb
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) --  The Manas Air Base Post Office staff knows to expect a huge influx of Christmas and holiday care packages, and to deliver the mountain of mail to base residents it takes teamwork from base volunteers. 

Between Thanksgiving and the first week of January, the Manas AB Post Office will receive roughly 4,400 pounds of mail every other day until the end of the holiday season, but the staff of three is already beginning to feel the effects of the holiday mailing season. 

"In order to get the mail out in a timely manner, we need help from volunteers to sort and process mail," said Rick Hayes, the 376th Expeditionary Communications Squadron postmaster. 

This staff sorts and delivers mail for more than 1,000 deployed servicemembers here, as well as the postal needs of more than 100,000 personnel transiting through Manas AB annually as they support operations in Afghanistan.

During one recent morning, Manas AB received four pallets totaling 4,400 pounds of mail and the holiday season is just beginning. On a normal day, the Manas AB Post Office sends out roughly 1,000 pounds of packages. According to the postmaster, there is just as much mail coming in as there is going out each day during the typical holiday season.

"We expect that for the next few months we will be seeing close to 5,000 pounds every couple of days," Mr. Hayes said.

When large pallets of mail are expected, the postmaster sends out an e-mail call requesting volunteers.

"I just wanted to help out," said Tech. Sgt. Lisa Wells, assigned to the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. "I know that back home the post office is always looking for volunteers this time of year, so it was easy to assume that the post office here would be just as busy."

The process of getting mail in and out of the area of operations is can be a complicated process that involves much teamwork. Each day, packages travel from the postmaster's hands to the base Air Tactical Operations Center where Airmen add it to the outgoing cargo going to either Ramstein Air Base, Germany, or to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, where much of it is often forwarded on to remote forward operating bases.

"We make every effort to move mail as quickly as possible and as direct as possible to its final destination," said Staff Sgt. Francisco Aguilera, 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron ATOC logistician. "All mail destined for the U.S. and Europe is sent to Ramstein AB and all AOR mail is sent to Bagram AB. From there, the packages are pushed out to their final destination."

As November closes out and December kicks off, the holiday shipping season is expected to kick into overdrive as Airmen send Christmas gifts home from Kyrgyzstan and loved ones back home remind these warriors just how much they're missed. The three-man staff of the Manas post office will depend on volunteers and support from ATOC Airmen to ensure the movement of so much mail goes off without a hitch. 

According to the U.S. Postal Service Web site, they process and deliver more than 212 billion pieces of mail annually, much of it during the holiday season. The U.S. Postal Service handles the equivalent of 700 million pieces per day, 29 million pieces per hour, 486,000 pieces per minute, 8,000 pieces per second.

"We all understand the importance of this particular part of our job and enjoy the fact that we make folks very happy by moving their mail, especially during the Christmas season," Sergeant Aguilera said.

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page