Photo By Sgt. Maj. Alexander Burnett | Spc. Laree Williams, left, an administration specialist assigned to the 4th Combat...... read more read more
SHINDAND AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- According to the Army Field Manual covering leadership, one of the key elements to improving and maintaining soldier morale is mail. In a deployed environment like Afghanistan, letters from friends and family, packages and even online purchases boost the spirits of a warfighter. Few, however, realize the amount of work and effort taken to ensure mail is delivered.
The 18th Human Resources Company, Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Resolute recently transformed Shindand Airfield into a mail hub for the western region of Afghanistan.
The 18th HRC mission begins with receiving and accounting for mail. Every week, the nine personnel assigned to the mail hub receive over 4,000 kilograms of letters, packages and cards. This mail is inventoried and separated for distribution.
“When we receive a pallet of mail the first thing we do is separate it according to where it needs to go,” said Spc. Ronkevia Draughn, an 18th HRC administration specialist. “Some days we are here for fourteen hours or more making sure the mail gets to its destination.”
The mail hub is responsible for all mail coming and going from Shindand Airfield, Forward Operating Base Stone and Forward Operating Base Ferah. Twice a week, both FOBs Stone and Ferah receive two 20-foot containers filled with mail. The containers are emptied, the mail is distributed, and the containers are refilled with outgoing mail, said Sgt. Gelisa Wilson, an 18th HRC administration non-commissioned officer.
“When the teams at (FOBs) Stone and Ferah are finished they send their outgoing mail back to us,” said Wilson. “We unload all four twenty-foot containers and make sure the mail is directed to the right place either stateside or elsewhere in the world.”
Finally, the 18th HRC is responsible for redistributing or returning mail that may have lost its way. When a piece of mail destined for Kuwait or Iraq comes into the hands of these soldiers, they re-label it and push it to the proper destination.
“This mission is very important to all of us,” said Wilson. “I like knowing that we are helping soldiers get their mail and making their lives a little better. Even when a piece of mail comes to us that was supposed to go somewhere else in theater, I like being a part of getting that letter where it needs to be.”
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2011 08:14 |
| Story ID: | 71112 |
| Location: | SHINDAND AIR BASE, AF |
| Web Views: | 405 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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