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U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz opens its new Landstuhl Army Post Office, delivering full-service mail operations for garrison customers, July 3.
The new post office is the result of a specialized assessment of the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center facility, noting mail handling should be conducted in a separate facility from where patients receive care. The new APO offers conventional customer service, finance, in- and out-processing assistance, claims, 24-hour lobby access and official mail operations in freshly-renovated Bldg. 3723.
“A tremendous amount of planning and preparation was invested in this project,” said Mark Pechman, Postal Program Specialist. “Throughout this process, our No. 1 priority was keeping our community informed, while maintaining a positive focus on the effective and efficient handling of the mail and postal support.”
Pechman said the five-year APO renovation project falls in line with IMCOM-Europe’s Postal Transformation initiative to transition unit mailrooms into full-service Postal Service Centers.
“The new facility is designed in accordance with the U.S. Postal Service business model for mail distribution to include the numbering system for mailboxes and receptacles,” he explained. “In keeping with USPS numbering methods, the new mailboxes and receptacles do not have zeros as the last digit. This promotes more efficient and accurate mail processing and distribution.”
As a result, Pechman said a small number of customers who currently have mailboxes ending with zero will receive new mailbox numbers. For these affected customers, their mail will automatically be forwarded, ensuring no disruption of service. However, as with any change of address process, customers are ultimately responsible for notifying their family, friends and any merchants of their new addresses to eliminate the continued need for directory services and to shorten their mail processing times. This can be done conveniently online at www.usps.com.
The USPS business design also promotes more efficient and accurate mail processing for customers, said Jason Simpson, Postmaster for Landstuhl and Rhine Ordnance Barracks.
“Landstuhl customers should be confident this transition is being executed within the controlled environment of the local USAG RP, Military Postal Service network and the new Landstuhl APO,” he said. “Customer mail is not at risk of being misrouted, delayed or returned to sender as a result of the transition effort, because the mail is correctly directed in this facility.”
The APO transition will take place from June 29 to July 2 to ensure all mail and packages are efficiently relocated to the new facility.
Until June 29 (8 a.m.) — Customers can pick up mail and packages prior to the transition.
July 2 — The 24-hour lobby will reopen and mail will be available to customers via their mail receptacle at the new post office (Bldg. 3723).
July 3 — Customers can access all other services (mail and packages) at the new post office in accordance with established posted hours of operation.
During the transition (June 29 to July 2), customers can mail items, purchase money orders and stamps at one of the other available Military Post Office facilities.
- Ramstein Air Base Northside (Bldg. 426)
- Ramstein Air Base Southside (Bldg. 2410)
- Rhine Ordnance Barracks (Bldg. 0291)
- Kapaun Air Station, Vogelweh (Bldg. 2763)
- Kleber Kaserne (Bldg. 3243)
- Sembach Kaserne (Bldg. 222)
- Baumholder, Smith Barracks (Bldg. 8661)
The shift from a unit mailroom to a full-service APO is a positive one, said Kevin L. Griess, Ph.D., Deputy to the Garrison Commander.
“From a customer standpoint, this move is similar to an upgrade from a shoppette to a full base exchange,” he said. “This change requires more staffing and new management. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we complete this upgrade, but please be assured, when we are at full staff, we will be full service.”
There are several openings on the USAG RP Post Office team. People can check out USAJobs.gov for available postal operations assistant positions in Landstuhl, Kaiserslautern and Baumholder.
