Airmen keep theater mail flowing [Baghdad Int'l Airport]

Air Force.mil ^ | 10/27/2003 | Master Sgt. Scott Elliott

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Airmen keep theater mail flowing

BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq -- Airman 1st Class Christine Mayor, Senior Airman Alaine Wallace and Capt. Denise Freimuth load mail onto pallets in 100-plus degree temperatures. The 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron team handles more than 150,000 pounds of mail flowing to and from air post offices at American camps in Iraq every day. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)

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by Master Sgt. Scott Elliott
Air Force Print News

10/27/2003 - BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq -- Eighteen airmen, most wearing two or three stripes, spend several hours a day in a sun-baked warehouse just off the tarmac here. They are touching the lives of each deployed servicemember and civilian in Iraq.

“We’re responsible for all mail, in and out,” said Tech. Sgt. Darrin Robertson, mail control activity team chief with the 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron. “When planes come in we have to account for every piece of mail.”

According to Robertson, his team handles the more than 150,000 pounds of mail per day that flows to and from every air post office in American camps in Iraq.

“We usually have four planes come in each day, not to mention the outbound mail,” said Airman 1st Class Amanda Turnbo, who is deployed from the 31st Communications Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy.

“I was overwhelmed when I first saw (the amount of mail),” she said.

The airmen do not sort or distribute individual letters or packages; soldiers do most of that. Still, they have plenty of work to keep them occupied.

“We’re hauling bags and boxes for at least seven hours a day,” said Senior Airman Parron Outing, deployed from the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. “It’s definitely physical labor. I have no doubt I’ll be ready for the new fitness test.”

No matter how many planeloads of incoming mail arrive or how many pallets of outgoing mail they have to build, the team chief said his crew is into their work.

“We have a good group here, and the mail really moves,” said Robertson, who is deployed from the Air Warfare Center at Maxwell AFB, Ala.

The airmen obviously can not see what is in the letters and packages, but occasionally messages to and from home are there for all to see.

“The best part of the job is the decorations (on the mail),” said Airman 1st Class Rose Jaramillo, also deployed from Maxwell’s AWC. “When you see things saying ‘I love you’ and other things, you really know you’re passing on the love.”

[bikerman]

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The airmen obviously can not see what is in the letters and packages, but occasionally messages to and from home are there for all to see.

“The best part of the job is the decorations (on the mail),” said Airman 1st Class Rose Jaramillo, also deployed from Maxwell’s AWC. “When you see things saying ‘I love you’ and other things, you really know you’re passing on the love.”

~~~
VOA, did you get that? Messages on the OUTSIDE of envelopes and boxes lift the spirits of troops handling the mail. (^;
~~~

If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[Prodigal Son]

One of those jobs you never want to do yourself but you're always happy it gets done by someone.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Forgot to ping you to #3. New care package/mailing tip. (^;

[windchime]

"Messages on the OUTSIDE of envelopes and boxes lift the spirits of troops handling the mail."

That's good info.

[McGavin999]

I'll have to remember that and make sure I make some comments on the outside of my letters too.

[blackie]

Messages on the OUTSIDE of envelopes and boxes lift the spirits of troops handling the mail ~ Bump!

[VOA]

VOA, did you get that? Messages on the OUTSIDE of envelopes and boxes lift the
spirits of troops handling the mail. (^;

Thanks very much for the ping.
I'll probably be sending a couple of packages in the next week or so.

I'll need to think it out, but maybe I'll try to get small, but obvious "Hello and Thanks"
message with the names of the six personnel named in the article...on the outside
of the box.

[PhilDragoo]

“We have a good group here, and the mail really moves,”

As it does here. Bump.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Bump!

[VOA]

Weekend bump...my packages to a US Army chaplain in Bahgdad should be going through the hands
of these over-worked, under-paid patriots any day now...

AND, a reminder to posters/lurkers of the genereral DEADLINE of NOVEMBER 13TH to mail
holiday packages to our best-and-brighest who'll be far, far from home this year.

[VOA]

Saturday publicity bump...
and now off to football!

[VOA]

Bump...
and a reminder to the forum that NOVEMBER 13 is the general deadline for mailing
holiday care-packages.
SO...that means we're coming up on the last shopping weekend for our folks serving
in about 160 countries around the globe

[VOA]

NOW HEAR THIS ALL LURKERS/POSTERS:

THIS WEEKEND (November 8 and 9) is the LAST SHOPPING WEEKEND for Parcel Post mailing
of care packages to our BEST AND BRIGHTEST who will be stationed far from home for the holidays
(deadline for this inexpensive mailing route is November 13th).

TIME to:
SHOP
BOX
and
MAIL

THAT IS ALL!

till next time...

[VOA]

NOW HEAR THIS ALL LURKERS/POSTERS:

THIS WEEKEND (November 8 and 9) is the LAST SHOPPING WEEKEND for Parcel Post mailing
of care packages to our BEST AND BRIGHTEST who will be stationed far from home for the holidays
(deadline for this inexpensive mailing route is November 13th).

TIME to:
SHOP
BOX
and
MAIL

for shipping advice, see threads at these URLs:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1003802/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/997310/posts

THAT IS ALL!
till next time...

[VOA]

I know I'm like a broken record, but here goes...

NOW HEAR THIS ALL LURKERS/POSTERS:

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH IS THE DEADLINE for inexpensive Parcel Post mailing of miltary
care-packages to our BEST AND BRIGHTEST who will be stationed far from home for the holidays.
...some of these folks will be spending their first Thanksgiving, Christmas and
New Years away from home and family, in one of the about 160 countries...

TIME to:
SHOP
BOX
and
MAIL

for shipping advice, see threads at these URLs:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1003802/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/997310/posts

THAT IS ALL!
At Ease!

[pointsal]

GOOD JOB...GOOD POST...THANKS

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

You're very welcome. Our troops are our best ambassadors.