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Post office delivers holiday cheer to deployed Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  It was well after 11 p.m. when the truck pulled up to the loading dock. Eager workers waited for the rear door to open so the task could begin.

"Let's get this started," one Airman said, as the door slammed to the roof and out of sight.

The 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron Mail Control Activity, with the help of 10 volunteers, began unloading a postal truck filled to the brim with mail Dec. 20, 2011 - just in time for the holidays.

"The past few days have been very busy for us," said Tech. Sgt. Ivan Abudo, 379th ECS Mail Control Activity chief and native of Dorado, Puerto Rico.

The MCA received more than 48,000 pounds of mail - the equivalent of four adult elephants - Dec. 19 to 20, more than they normally process in a week. The mail is sorted and then distributed to Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and civilians assigned to the base.

Volunteers and postal couriers toiled throughout the night to ensure the packages were ready for pick-up the following day.

"Just like back home, the holidays are extremely busy for postal systems and the workload exponentially increases the last two or three weeks before the end of the year," Abudo said. "The special thing about our job while deployed is that we provide a piece of home for deployed service members."

The packages -- whether cookies from grandma, presents from loved ones or thank you cards from an elementary school -- can provide a personal touch from home that can cheer up service members during a sometimes lonely time of the year.

"It is very important to know that someone is thinking of you this time of year," said Senior Airman Brittnay Waite, a volunteer from the Combined Air and Space Operations Center and native of Oak Creek, Wis.

Sometimes an e-mail or a phone call are not enough for the holidays, but a care package or a letter from home can provide a personal and tangible connection that technology cannot replace, Abudo said.

"It's great to be part of the process that brings families together with their loved ones serving overseas," he added. "It's humbling being a part of the process that connects people for the holidays."

The hard work paid off for Tech. Sgt. Adam Kipnis, who volunteered his time to assist.

"It's important to make sure people are taken care of, especially during the holidays," said Kipnis, with the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron and native of Coral Springs, Fla. "It's a great feeling knowing that I was able to provide that gift from home to our troops."