Photo By Sharilyn Wells | As the largest military installation by population, over 270,000 people live, work and...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – As the largest military installation by population, over 270,000 people live, work and play on Fort Bragg. That number does not include the hundreds that visit the installation every day.
Breaking down that number, over 17,000 reside on the installation with multiple facilities of employment and partners who provide services to Fort Bragg customers.
With that in mind, the question posed is: How does the mail safely and efficiently get to everyone?
The answer: the hard-working employees of the United States Postal Service.
“We put a lot of emphasis on the delivery of the mail to the entire installation because mail is a huge morale booster, and a big part of the (Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation) program,” explained Angelene Rainey, Fort Bragg manager of customer services, USPS. “When you’re away from Family, that one package may be the only thing that keeps you connected to home – they’re far away geographically, but close to you with that parcel.”
With the holiday season quickly approaching, the Fort Bragg post office is gearing up for an increase in the amount of mail and packages they receive. According to Rainey, volume starts to increase around October and lasts to the end of the year.
“To assist in assuring everyone has a safe and happy holiday, we bring on additional workforce to ensure increased volume is delivered,” said Rainey. “All postal service employees go through a screening process with detailed training in regard to the sanctity and security of the mail.”
Rainey mentioned that sometimes some parcels may require additional security measures, but the USPS ensures “all employees are qualified to address any challenges that may arise.”
Fort Bragg’s main post office, located near the mini mall on Reilly Road, isn’t any different from other USPS offices. Each office is employed by knowledgeable and trained staff, inspected by security officials, and has frequent, unannounced visits from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
“All postal employees are aware that when they have mail in their possession, they need to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings at all times to ensure they’re safe and delivered in the most efficient way,” added Rainey. “Safety, sanctity and efficiency are our priorities.”
According to the U.S. Postal Inspector Services website, it is responsible for protecting postal employees and the mail; enforcing postal laws; ensuring plant and personnel security; conducting various internal audits within the Postal Service; and conducting criminal investigations and presenting evidence to the U.S. Attorneys and other prosecutors on those investigations.
Postal inspectors work closely with other federal, state and local authorities to ensure the safety and security of the mail and those professionals who deliver it. All parcels go through a deliberate and thorough screening process to ensure nothing illegal or hazardous is sent through the mailing system, which includes trafficking of illicit drugs and opioids through the mail.
In 2017, the USPIS created a team of experts that specifically focused on the trafficking of illicit drugs through the mail. According to the U.S. Postal Service Strategy: Combating Illicit Drugs in the Mail, the team was gathered “due to the scale of the opioid crisis, which warranted a targeted response outside of the traditional criminal investigation services.”
Illegal narcotics enter the U.S. by land, air and sea every day and has been increasing in quantity within the past decade. The drug trafficking problem has been worsened by the growth in internet usage, e-commerce and the dark web – making it easier for criminals to market and sell anonymously in online marketplaces.
In fiscal year 2020, over 2,200 arrests were made involving drug trafficking using the U.S. Mail, and 124,000 pounds of illegal narcotics and nearly $39 million illegal proceeds were seized, which is attributed to the in-depth work the team is conducting.
Fort Bragg is not immune to this national issue. Fort Bragg officials cooperate and work with multiple government entities, such as the Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigation, to ensure the wellbeing and safety of everyone on the installation.
Mandatory training, such as the Suspicious Package Program, teaches postal employees what is considered dangerous, how to spot potentially hazardous mail, and how to contact the right law authorities.
Everyone is responsible for safety and that starts with one of the first questions asked when a customer places a parcel on the scale to ship.
“Does this parcel contain anything liquid, fragile, perishable, or potentially hazardous?”
To ensure packages and mail successfully get shipped, domestically or internationally, be sure to review the guidelines on what items are prohibited or restricted. All prohibited and restricted items are listed in the Mailing Standards of the U.S. Postal Service Publication 52 – Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail.
Prohibited items include ammunition, explosives, gasoline, and marijuana (medical or otherwise). Restricted items include aerosols, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, lithium batteries, live animals, nail polish, perfumes, perishable items, hand sanitizer, firearms and more.
The last day to send mail in time for the holidays (Dec. 25) domestically ranges depending on how you ship. For regular mail, Dec. 17 or Dec. 23 if you ship with priority mail express. Alaska and Hawaii dates vary slightly. International mail should be shipped, depending on location and how you ship, between Dec. 6 to as late as Dec. 22 if you use global express guaranteed.
If shipping to an APO, FPO, or DPO address, the package should already be in the mail if using ground service or if shipping by priority mail express military service, Dec. 16 is the last day to ensure arrival by Dec. 25.
Remember that Hanukkah this year is Dec. 18 through Dec. 26 and Kwanzaa begins on Dec. 26, ending on Jan. 1.
Fort Bragg’s post office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The post office is closed on Sunday. The lobby and P.O. box access are open 24 hours, seven days a week. The office also has a self-service kiosk open all the time where customers can ship, mail, and purchase stamps.
Along with P.O. box rentals, there is a passport office where customers can schedule an appointment to request or renew their passport. For more information on the Fort Bragg location, other U.S. mail questions, or a career in the postal service, go to USPS.com.
“I want to emphasize my appreciation of the employees that work here,” Rainey said, nodding her head. “We’ve never stopped – ever. When the COVID pandemic shut down the area, we never stopped because we understand that one package or piece of mail is what holds a lot of Families together.”
Mail is what binds the nation together. Even with the growth of email and video phone calls, nothing beats receiving a letter or package in the mail. Through inclement weather, dangerous locations, pandemics, and worker shortages, the USPS will always ensure they provide trusted, safe and secure communications and services to their customers.
“Our team of clerks and couriers never stop,” added Rainey. “They’ve endured the fight to get the mission done. At the end of the day, the team here is one big Family, and the objective is to guarantee a smile on each of our customers’ faces.”
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2022 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 434404 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 228 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘The sanctity and security of the mail’: Fort Bragg, U.S. Postal Service prepped for holiday rush, by Sharilyn Wells, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT