BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Gen. George S. Patton said, “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.”
What keeps the men fighting however is morale. While there are five generally accepted components of morale, most would agree the holy trinity of morale is food, living quarters and mail.
The job of getting that much anticipated mail to the service members of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion falls in the capable hands of two soldiers.
Pfc. Troy R. Dobbs, a Midwest City, Okla., native and Spc. Jesus H. Rocha, a Tracy, Calif., native were selected to work in the mail room prior to leaving Fort Drum for Afghanistan. The pair became certified military mail handlers after attending a two-week course.
They pick up mail at the main post office every day and sort and log more than one hundred letters and packages before opening to customers at 1 p.m.
For Dobbs the greatest thing about working in the mail room is the interaction with fellow soldiers.
“I enjoy the chance to meet more of the people in the battalion and to talk with them about their day,” he said.
Rocha, shares a similar sentiment about working in the mail room.
“I love seeing the happy reactions people have when they get a package or letter,” he said.
The volume of mail will increase significantly with the approaching holiday season, but Dobbs and Rocha remain motivated and ready to face the challenge.
“We love our job,” they said.