Mail Bridges Distance Between Deployed Soldiers, Families
(July 21, 2008) | 
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Army Pfc. Courtney
Flaherty, a unit mail clerk and Pacific, Miss.,
native, sifts through letters for Spc. Daniel
Conley, of Columbiaville, Mich., in the mail
room of Headquarters and Headquarters Company,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division,
on Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, on July
12, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE
HAMMER, Iraq , July 18, 2008 – When Patton's
tanks rolled across North African desert sands,
letters of encouragement, love and support from
family back home connected 1st Armored Division
soldiers to loved ones left behind.
Today, in the heat of Iraq's deserts, mail
continues to bridge the distance between “Iron
Soldiers” and their families. Even in today's
age of advanced technological communications,
nothing compares to being able to hold a letter
or open a package pieced together with affection
by someone at home.
“Even though my wife and I are able to
communicate almost daily via the internet, it
still brightens my day to open a package from
her,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Donald Johnson,
deployed from Baumholder, Germany. “To know that
her hands held this just days ago makes me feel
that we are not so far apart.”
It takes hours of work and numerous soldiers to
get the mail from its origin to soldiers of 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
“On an average day, we
bring in roughly 8,000 pounds of mail, sending
out nearly 1,000 pounds from the soldiers,” said
Army Sgt. Lamond Jackson, of Los Angeles.
Soldiers serving in war zones are able to
send letters to the U.S. free of charge. |
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Once a piece of mail is shipped to Iraq from anywhere in the
United States, it is sent to a central facility in New York.
Mail is next received and sorted by soldiers working at
Baghdad International Airport. These soldiers then arrange
for the mail to be and shipped by convoy to the appropriate
base. |
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Every letter, parcel and
package received by the mail handlers of 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, is
sorted into individual units, then, the office
or group of each soldier, and finally, by the
soldier's name. It takes each piece of mail an
average of five to 10 days to travel from origin
to destination, passing through several
checkpoints and countless soldiers along the
way.
Before the mail passes into
the hands of its intended soldier, it goes
through the final link in the chain, the unit
mail clerk. The unit mail clerk is solely
responsible for ensuring that each package is
intact, protected and delivered to the correct
soldier.
“Being the mail clerk is a big responsibility,
because mail is really important for our
soldiers,” said Army Pfc. Courtney Flaherty, of
Pacific, Mass. “I really enjoy being able to
perform this job.”
No matter what soldiers may encounter during any
given day, a little piece of home provides
meaning to the sacrifices they make. “Mail is
the sole thing I look forward to each day. I
love it,” said Army Cpl. John Wilson, of New
York City. “Just knowing that someone special
took the time and effort to write to me makes
all this worthwhile.” |
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Army Cpl. John Wilson, of
New York City, enjoys a letter from home July
12, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division |
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By Army Pfc. Michael Schuch
Special to American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2008
Note... Army
Pfc. Michael Schuch is assigned to the Public Affairs Office
of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
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