Photo By Cpl. Thomas Sheng | U.S. Marine Corps Col. Ronnie Michael, left, commanding officer of Marine Corps...... read more read more
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CAMP MUJUK, Pohang, Republic of Korea– U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Installations Pacific and MCI Camp Mujuk held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the grand opening of the first Marine Corps post office in the Korean Peninsula on Camp Mujuk, Jan. 15, 2025.
In November 2023, Camp Mujuk requested support from MCIPAC Postal for dedicated personnel to establish a post office. This year, MCIPAC Postal has established a fully functional post office with the capabilities of post offices from other major Marine Corps installations. The new post office will be manned by Marines with MCIPAC Postal, Camp Butler, who will work there in rotations to offer full postal services.
Before the presence of a post office with dedicated personnel, Marines and civilian workers on Camp Mujuk had to commute a total of four hours round trip to send and receive mail from.
“I was making that trip often, sometimes several times a week, and it annoyed me," said Robert Salasko, the deputy camp commander of Camp Mujuk. “But now you don’t have to do that anymore. Life is simple. Life is sweet.”
Permanent personnel on Camp Mujuk now have access to Post Service Center boxes where they can use their new addresses for receiving mail. If needed, personnel who own PSC boxes can also pick up their letters and packages outside of normal working hours with a key provided by postal Marines.
The outgoing mail section of the post office also passed inspection before the grand opening.
“There are a lot of detachments that come out here for training exercises that definitely appreciated the mail services,” said Gunnery Sgt. Nathaniel Garza, operations chief of Marine Corps Installations Pacific Postal, Camp Butler. “Especially coming out to South Korea, these Marines get their hands on different types of souvenirs and are able to send it back.”
According to Garza, one of the most recent temporary units that utilized the finance section totaled around $3,000. This money amount refers to the total cost that the unit incurred when Marines shipped gifts and souvenirs back to the states. Marines that arrive on Camp Mujuk for a training exercise often utilize the finance section because they don’t have enough luggage space or to avoid damaging items when returning to the states.
“That’s a huge morale boost. Mail is Morale,” said Salasko. “When you’re in an operational environment, your whole world exists around work, training, and shifts, and you do the same thing day after day, but then you get that one opportunity where you get mail and that is the inspiration or catalyst that keeps a young man or woman going.”
Salasko explained that Marines with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, recently did a training exercise through the holidays at Camp Mujuk and were able to utilize the post office to send and receive mail.
The new post office will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to all SOFA personnel, regardless of if they are stationed there permanently or temporarily.
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2025 19:24 |
| Story ID: | 489794 |
| Location: | CAMP MUJUK, KR |
| Web Views: | 160 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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