CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan –
U.S. Marines and master labor contractors with Marine Corps Installations Pacific Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Postal increased working hours to distribute mail to service members and civilian personnel on Camp Foster from November to December 2024.
To match the inrush of gifts for the holiday season for all post offices, the Postal Operations Center and the Camp Foster Post Office have adjusted their work schedule to include holiday liberty periods and weekends. A typical day for postal Marines means working from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but their schedule begins fluctuating around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
“This is a very rewarding time because this is the season where children and families get to celebrate the holidays and we get to be a huge part of that,” said Gunnery Sgt. Cody Koch, custodian of postal effects, Camp Foster Post Office. “However, with the extra mail and demands from this time of year, roles change and Marines take on more responsibilities to make sure that customers are serviced.”
To align with the Defense Policy Review Initiative, the Postal Operations Center on Camp Foster is now responsible for distributing parcels and letters to military post offices throughout Okinawa: MCB Camp Butler, U.S. Army Garrison Torii Station, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, and U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa.
On an average day, Marines at the Postal Operations Center are accustomed to processing two to three trailer trucks full of mail. However, during the holidays it ramps up to about six trucks a day.
“During the holiday season, mail volume is a lot higher, so there’s going to be times where we are coming in during the weekends and the holidays,” said Gunnery Sgt. Nathaniel Garza, postal operations officer of MCIPAC MCB Camp Butler Postal. “These trailer trucks that hold mail are filled from the back, all the way to the front doors when you open them.”
When 6:00 a.m. calls, Marines load all items onto conveyor belts where they distribute every package and parcel to trucks headed toward different bases and camps. The process is not as simple as moving boxes from one location to another.
“Our only roadblock during mail distribution is damaged packages. There are times when we receive mail bags that have packages that aren’t properly wrapped,” said Garza. “Sometimes these packages contain liquid that will end up tampering with other pieces shipped with that item. We’re talking about potentially 20 other packages being affected due to improper sealing.”
Another responsibility for Marines on the conveyor belts is the quality control of parcels. As soon as a Marine identifies that the package is damaged or has any type of discrepancy, the parcel is pulled off the conveyor belt.
Marines are stationed throughout the entire conveyor belt in case they notice rips or tears on parcels or letters. Any mail with these discrepancies will be rewrapped, repackaged, and replaced on the conveyor belt to reach its destination.
According to Garza, the Postal Operations Center had received up to 3,000 pieces of mail on a single Monday from the weekend build-up.
Not only does the Postal Operations Center receive and distribute mail, but they also send mail outbound. Marines can send anywhere from 800 to 900 pieces of mail outbound daily.
“Marines that have been here and done it more than once are used to that battle rhythm during the holidays, but of course, it’s harder on the new Marines that are checking in right before the holidays,” said Garza. “This is why during this time of year it’s all hands on deck. We’re trying to help unload trucks from the most senior officer down to the most junior Marine because, without everyone, we can struggle.”
The same parcels and letters going to and from their destination at the Postal Operations Center also undergo processing at post offices around the island. Each post office is responsible for delivering mail from the Postal Operations Center over the counter or sorting them into P.O. boxes for each service member who owns a P.O. box at that specific location. These post offices are also the first part of the transportation hub when sending mail out of Okinawa.
According to Koch, the Camp Foster Post Office will receive anywhere from 3,000 pounds to 6,000 pounds of mail on a daily basis during the holiday season. Both the Postal Operations Center and the Camp Foster Post Office have expressed handling packages that contain gifts like necklaces, dollhouses, trampoline sets, treadmills, and weedwackers.
“Our mission here is to ensure that every piece of mail that we receive during the holidays is delivered to customers before Christmas Day,” said Koch. “This is to ensure that families can celebrate the holidays and children can receive their gifts.”
An important factor in meeting this mission is the use of parcel lockers and P.O. boxes. These allow the Camp Foster Post Office to make deliveries during the weekends.
Parcel lockers and P.O. boxes account for 45% of the 5,000 deliveries made since Dec. 12. This number has increased since last year when P.O. boxes and parcel lockers were utilized for 20% of the deliveries.
Koch explained that customers, up to the commanding general, have expressed gratitude for the ability to pick up their packages over the weekends.
“This is one of the largest finance post offices in the Marine Corps,” said Koch. “Junior Marines have to be super adaptable and understand the mission that has to be accomplished. When those two things are achieved that’s how this whole thing comes together.”
Starting in November, postal Marines and MLCs work around the clock to ensure service members receive their gifts for the holidays. This year Camp Foster alone has delivered over 250,000 packages. Service members can rest easy knowing that gifts and packages will be delivered for the families.