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While being stationed overseas, delivering packages to stateside or deployed loved ones might sound like a pain to some. Volunteers from different career fields around the Air Force and career postal Airmen of the 2nd Air Postal Squadron send packages from KMC residents on a journey to destinations around the world.
With packages being shipped everywhere, including to mothers back home and spouses downrange, having trust in the people shipping them is a must.
“From the training we received, Airmen are fully capable of getting the job done,” said Tech. Sgt. David Lott, 86th Communications Squadron official mail manager. “I have full trust in all of our Airmen (that they will) do the best they can to take care of the mail.”
Thousands of miles away, a package will be opened by its recipient, but before it gets there it must be prepared to ship out. In order to prepare the packages, volunteers from around the Air Force and a hand full of career postal Airmen work constantly to make sure the local post office is ready for use.
“I volunteered for postal to have a change of scenery and got Ramstein,” said Senior Airman Mannon Wills, 86th CS postal finance clerk. “This is the biggest and busiest post office in the (Department of Defense). We ship about 36,000 packages a year. We provide postal service for members of the KMC as well as people coming from different bases in Germany and around Europe.”
While working in a post office that covers such a large community in a foreign country, a postal Airman might feel overwhelmed, however, Airmen at the Ramstein Northside Post Office keep their motivation high by having honor in their job.
“It takes a lot of motivation from NCOs and younger Airmen to come and work here every day because we are the biggest post office in Europe,” Lott said. “We have to take pride in everything we do.”
While having pride in their jobs, the Airmen of the Northside Post Office accomplish their mission by doing the simplest job they could ever do: getting along with each other. Camaraderie between the Airmen who come from different career fields to volunteer for postal work and the few career postal Airmen helps the mission run smoothly.
“We have around 78 people working at the Northside Post Office,” Lott said. “One of the good things with the post office here is the arrangement of folks we have, because you’ll get people from all (Air Force Specialty Codes). They bring in a lot of good things from other parts of the Air Force.”
Even the happiest face possible can be broken by a customer having a bad day. Being the last in a long line of organizations that handle the shipping of packages, an Airman must be prepared to hand over a box that has been damaged during its journey to Ramstein.
“Between the post offices back home, to the airlines that ship the mail, to the contractors and carriers, there are a lot of hands involved in getting people’s mail here,” Lott said. “Sometimes the mail gets beat up before it comes to us. If this happens, we tell the customer that it’s OK and that we’ll take care of it.”
Quality postal service in the KMC comes from the hard working, dedicated and motivated Airmen of the Northside Post Office. Ensuring a package starts or ends its journey with pride and precision is one of their top priorities.
