Post Office readies for the holiday rush

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kristin High
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  With the holiday season now underway, the Osan Post Office is facing its busiest time of the year. This is a wonderful time for celebrating; Team Osan will be sending and receiving presents from loved ones all over the world.

Airmen and civilian postal clerks here are preparing for the anticipated increase in mail volume that will occur in the next few months.

"We have 24 postal clerks currently working six days a week processing more than 1,000 letters and packages daily," said Tech. Sgt. Bernadette Nguyen, 51st Communications Squadron NCO in-charge postal operations. "During the holiday season last year, we processed more than 450,000 pounds of incoming and outgoing mail."

The post office currently services more than 11,000 active-duty, DOD civilians, contractors, and retirees, as well as transient service members supporting various training exercises throughout the year.

In order to make this year's trip to the post office as smooth and stress free as possible, the post office staff asks base members to follow a few simple guidelines.

The recommended holiday mailing dates this year are:

Express mail: Dec. 17

First Class mail (letters/cards): Dec. 10

Priority mail: Dec. 10

Space Available mail: Dec. 3

In addition to meeting target mailing dates, it is recommended that customers be sure to properly pack parcels to ensure a safe and timely delivery.

These steps include securely packing items and using leak-proof containers (when necessary), printing both the shipping and return addresses clearly, properly filling out the correct customs forms and not wrapping the outside of packages with wrapping paper or string. Customers should also reference the customs of the country to which they are sending a package to ensure items are authorized.

Although the holiday season can be stressful for the post office, the weight of the workload is lessened by volunteers.

"Volunteers can come any time of the year, but it's definitely appreciated during the holiday season," said Airman 1st Class Calvin Cook, 51st CS military postal clerk. "If it wasn't for our volunteer program, it would be harder to meet our standard mail delivery schedules."

Groups or individuals interested in volunteering at the Osan Post Office can call a volunteer service coordinator at 784-4655, or stop by in person to request more information.