I MEF receives ‘tons’ of mail during holiday season

Photo By Cpl. Mark Garcia | Cpl. Cresswell Stanaway looks over packages at the Camp Leatherneck postal operation center, Dec. 21. The postal Marines have worked extensive hours during the past few weeks to process and distribute the influx of holiday mail arriving here to get to the service members before Christmas.  

CAMP LEATHERNECK, AFGHANISTAN

12.21.2010

Story by Sgt. Shawn Coolman  

Regional Command Southwest

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Spending the holidays away from family is a routine occurrence for many service members, but during the holiday season, receiving a package from a loved one is a welcomed distraction.

The postal operations center here is working overtime to distribute every package to the service members in time for Christmas.

The postal operation center has had to reorganize their Marines so they get as many people to sort the mail during daylight hours. Also, numerous volunteers have volunteered to help sort mail.

Cpl. Cresswell Stanaway, who is in charge of overseeing the distribution of mail throughout Helmand province from Camp Leatherneck, says that she and her Marines have to work as a team. During the holidays Stanaway, from Houston, says that the influx of mail slows the distribution process down, but with additional help from other Marines sorting the mail, the mail is being sent to its destination in a timely manner.

Gunnery Sgt. Thurman McNeill, postal operations chief, says that he has to run a skeleton crew at night so that more Marines can be available to help process the mail so service members receive their packages before Christmas.

With the help of the postal Marines and volunteers, the postal operations center can process between 45-50 pallets per day, which can add up to thousands of packages being sorted and distributed daily.

Stanaway said that to sort the influx of packages arriving here there is a system in place that once the mail arrives it can be sorted and sent to its destination. During the holidays there are at least three flights each day to get the mail out to service members. Often, service members are waiting on a package, but operational duties require them to leave before it arrives. The postal operations center has this in mind too.

McNeill, from Hollywood, Fla., says that if a Marine is waiting on a package from home and he or his Marines sees it, they will deliver it by hand. He says the postal operations center does this during the Christmas season so that the Marines can get their packages, especially those that come in at the last minute.

Even though the Marines are working exhausting hours preparing and distributing the mail, they say that the happiness that they see on the Marines’ faces is worth the effort.

McNeill said that during the holidays, “When a Marine does receive mail out here I know it does put a smile on their face, because they’re getting mail from back in the states.”

• Date Taken: 12.21.2010
• Date Posted: 12.21.2010 12:25
• Story ID: 62407
• Location: CAMP LEATHERNECK, AF