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BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Lifeliners are getting ready for the Holiday season mail rush.
The time of year has come again when family and friends send their love, gifts, and seasonal greetings to those who are unable to be home.
The 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, is expected to receive over 500,000 pounds of mail this Christmas, eclipsing more than any unit on Bagram. This year, Pvt. Larry Fitzwater, mail room clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Sustainment Brigade (Lifeliners), will have a key role in making sure Soldiers and their families receive their mail.
“I’ve been told to prepare for a heavy load around this time of year,” Fitzwater said, as the brigade prepares to take over postal operations from 82nd Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. I’m definitely going to prepare myself to stay an hour extra each day during Christmas, but not too much longer during Thanksgiving,” Fitzwater said.
The Lifeliners received orders for their fifth deployment to Afghanistan this past September. They will replace the 82nd Sustainment Brigade and join coalition forces during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Fitzwater has worked has a postal clerk for several months. This is his first deployment. “My former NCO placed me in the mail room. I love my job, and I love being able to have success without any confusion,” he said.
Within their first month of arriving in Afghanistan, the 101st Sustainment Brigade accumulated roughly 214,483 pounds of mail, seven times more of which was on ground before they arrived. Although the numbers reflect an already hefty load, Fitzwater said he understands that there’s plenty more to come.
“This is a very special time of year for anyone who knows what this holiday is truly about,” he said. “That’s why I love what I do. It’s important, and very gratifying. I enjoy it when the soldiers come around to receive their mail; it makes pretty good conversation.”
Soldiers all over the world are aware of how important it is to get their packages out early, avoiding the ‘last minute rush’ to the post offices on their respective bases.
“There’s only so much mail you can put into the outgoing at one time,” Fitzwater said.
“The weight of your package will dictate whether or not it can be loaded in my area of operation, and then later, sent away to the post office by me,” Fitzwater said, pointing out the packages needing a serious case of care.
“If soldiers bring mail that exceeds the weight limit, they must take their package to the mail deliverers themselves. I guess you can say I’m an everyday post man, just a better uniform. “
Fitzwater then went on to talk about the many memories he’s had as a civilian, and soldier during the holiday season.
“I remember living in Florida for about a year, and I hadn’t seen my mother throughout the entire time I was away,” Fitzwater said.
He said he changed dramatically, adding some weight and facial hair. “When I walked through the door for the first time in a long time, she saw me and couldn’t recognize me at all. When she found out it was her son, she went nuts,” Fitzwater said, laughing as he could recall her expression.
Fitzwater said it’s important for soldiers to be able to hear from their families, especially during times like this. “Even when I’m away from my real family, I have my other family here,” he said.
“For a while, I wasn’t able to operate anything but military vehicles, which resulted in me having to tell someone I wasn’t able to get their mail,” Fitzwater said. “That never felt good, especially knowing I’m a better soldier than that.”
Fitzwater, understanding how important this time of year is to his fellow soldiers, vowed to never let those past hiccups happen again.
“This time it’s for real,” he said. “Not that it wasn’t before, but now it’s crunch time. I’m more motivated than I’ve ever been; especially knowing how much of a morale booster this can be for my battle buddies and seniors throughout the unit.”
Soldiers wanting to send mail and packages back home to their families must have them at the post office no later than Dec. 10. Families wanting to send mail and packages to their soldiers must also get to the post office no later than Dec. 10.
| Date Taken: | 11.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.24.2010 23:56 |
| Story ID: | 60850 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 62 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Lifeliners mail room prepare for massive holiday season, by PFC Donte Gordon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
