Photo By Sgt. Breeanna Pierce | Sgt. John P. Patton, the battalion mail clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters...... read more read more
BAGHDAD – A deployment presents many challenges for soldiers, one of which can be staying in contact with family and friends back home.
Helping to keep 25th Infantry Division soldiers in contact with their families back home is Sgt. John P. Patton, the battalion mail clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 25th Inf. Div. at Camp Liberty, Iraq.
As the battalion mail clerk, Patton is responsible for getting letters and packages to soldiers from their families and friends back home.
“(Patton) is the direct line between the families and the deployed soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Wilfredo Ramos, the non-commissioned officer in charge of United States Division-Center detainee operations and a mail orderly for the Provost Marshall Office.
Having that connection to family and friends is one of the many things that help keep soldiers in good spirits during a deployment.
“It’s a big morale booster for the troops,” said Patton, who has been the mail clerk for HHBN for three years. “Everyone loves getting mail.”
In order to get the mail to the soldiers, Patton is required to go through several steps to ensure his job is being done right.
Every morning, Patton makes the drive to the Joint Military Mail Terminal at Sather Air Base.
“All mail goes through (the terminal) before it gets distributed to the different battalions,” said Patton, a native of the Kwajalein-Marshall Islands.
While at the terminal, Patton fills out several forms to account for all the mail he receives that day, from letters and packages to insured mail.
“It’s a lot of steps,” said Sgt. 1st Class Keith Johnson, the non-commissioned officer in charge with the 25th Inf. Div.’s communications help desk who often aids Patton in retrieving the mail from the terminal.
On a weekly basis, anywhere from 500 to 4000 packages and letters are shuttled from the terminal to the battalion mailroom, Patton said.
When Patton returns to the mail room, the packages and letters are separated out to the individual units and sections of the division for easy pick-up by mail orderlies.
For the last nine months, Patton has been the only mail clerk for the 25th Inf. Div., the only person orchestrating the process of getting packages and letters to division soldiers.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” said Patton, who is currently on his second deployment as a mail clerk.
At the beginning of the deployment, the mail room experienced an influx of mail that challenged Patton’s skills in keeping everything organized.
“The first couple months, we had a lot of mail come in because we were the new unit,” Patton said.
Throughout the influx, Patton was able to keep the mail room running smoothly. For his hard work, he received a certificate of appreciation from the division and was recognized as the Lightning Warrior of the Day, March 16.
“It made me feel good to know that my hard work doesn’t go unnoticed,” said Patton, who has spent five years in the U.S. Army.
Despite all the challenges, Patton has remained stress-free.
“Patton is a laid-back, well-rounded kind of guy,” said Johnson, a native of Pine Bluff, Ark., who has worked with Patton since 2009.
With his can-do attitude and his ability to keep organized even through an overload of mail, Patton continues to support his battalion by ensuring that Soldiers get their mail, helping to keep soldiers in contact with family and friends back home.
“He’s a one-man-show getting the mail for the whole battalion,” Johnson said.
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2011 12:29 |
| Story ID: | 76126 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 212 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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