OCTOBER 3, 2016, BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) – Officials from U. S. Postal Service (USPS) and civilian private mail carrier services in the Puget Sound area had the rare opportunity to see Navy postal operations on a shore installation and aboard ship during a postal facility tour hosted by Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Puget Sound at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton Sept. 20.
NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound postal installation support department and region postal operations division personnel arranged the visit for USPS officials, postal inspectors, and United Parcel Service (UPS) executives. The day’s events included a briefing and Q&A session at NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound headquarters with Commanding Officer Capt. Philippe Grandjean, followed by tours of the regional consolidated mail facility at NBK Bremerton, and aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), homeported in Bremerton, Wash.
The visit was coordinated as a ‘thank you’ for the support the postal organizations provide to military personnel and their families, and as a means to strengthen ties between the military and civilian postal organizations.
“We coordinated this event to show our appreciation for the outstanding postal service they provide to all five naval installations in the area, including the daily mail delivery and pickup to our region official mail centers, base military housing areas, and numerous other areas where they support us,” said Rick Buchart, NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound region postal operations manager.
Touring military mail facilities provided attendees with a glimpse of how the military postal system operates, and gave them a better understanding of the procedures and challenges of getting mail to the fleet. While USPS and commercial mail carriers can easily visit major corporate customers and view their internal mail operations, getting on base for a look at how the military functions is a little more challenging.
“We can sort, organize and analyze, but we don’t know what happens after we turn mail over to the military. This gives us a chance to see and understand how things work,” said Doreen Karoly, manager of address management systems at the USPS district office in Federal Way, Wash.
According to Buchart, USPS doesn’t just deliver mail to the base. USPS personnel provide inspection services, training for military and civilian postal personnel, and “address hygiene management,” ensuring that all military addresses are compatible with automated USPS sorting equipment. NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound postal facilities also work closely with commercial organizations like Federal Express (FEDEX) and UPS to handle official mail.
“We maintain an outstanding relationship with the regional USPS and private carriers such as UPS. They provide daily on-base pickup and delivery services to each of the region’s five primary official mail centers for all shore and fleet customers,” said Buchart. “USPS also operates retail postal services on two of our largest bases.”
At the end of the day, visitors left with a better idea of how the different organizations integrate to provide a service considered one of the most important factors affecting a unit’s morale.
“This was a chance to see what Navy people do and understand the part we play to support them,” said Veronica Cabading, an enterprise account executive for UPS.
NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound, one of eight fleet logistics centers under NAVSUP GLS, provides operational logistics, business and support services to Navy, Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and other Joint and Allied Forces. Products and services include contracting, fuels, global logistics, hazardous material management, household goods, integrated logistics support, material management, postal, regional transportation and warehousing.
NAVSUP GLS provides global logistics for a global Navy. The organization is made up of approximately 6,300 military and civilian logistics professionals operating from 105 locations worldwide providing an extensive array of integrated global logistics and contracting services to Navy, Marine Corps, joint operational units, and allied forces across all warfare enterprises.