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RAF Fairford sees increase in people, mail

Released: March 6, 2003

By 2nd Lt. Nathan Broshear
457th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs

ROYAL AIR FORCE FAIRFORD, England (USAFENS) -- The post office at Royal Air Force Fairford, England, is getting a lot more mail these days due to a large influx of deployed personnel here.

"Normally we provide mail services to more than 110 exchange officers and about 355 permanent party and retirees," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Dozier, RAF Fairford postmaster. Exchange officers are U.S. military members assigned to special positions within the UK, but not stationed at a U.S. installation.

The staff at the post office has increased from three people to six. "We've increased our staff, our hours, and our services," Dozier said. "The needs of deployed personnel are different from permanent party."

Staff Sgt Bryan Wright, deployed from Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, is lending a hand to the post office as his duty under the 424th Communications Squadron.

"I'm usually an information management troop, but for now I'm pitching the mail," said Wright, who enjoys the postal augmentee benefit of being able to get his mail first.

With members here for varying lengths of time and the limited number of post office boxes, deployed members may not get their own personal box - but every shop will.

"Each unit will have someone designated to pick up the mail for the office," Dozier explained. "They'll pick up the packages and then distribute them."

"With contingency operations it's even more important to make sure you've got the return address on everything that's put into the system," he said. Department of Defense regulations state that all mail, including letters, must have a return address.

Even when working with globetrotting military members, one common misconception is that prices are different for mailing letters and packages here than at a post office in the United States. "On base, prices are exactly the same as stateside," said Dozier. "A letter is still just 37 cents."

Tech Sgt. David Oian, an aerospace ground equipment mechanic from Minot AFB, N.D., appreciates the convenience of a full-service postal facility here. He's been mailing chocolates and gifts back to his family.

"I left England in August, now I'm deployed here," Oian said. "My children really wanted me to send them some English chocolate and Jaffa cakes. They'll love getting this package."

Although sending chocolates home is welcome, there are some items that just shouldn't be mailed.

"Alcohol, chemicals and drugs are not to be sent or received in the military postal system," explained Dozier. "After Sept 11 (2001) we're required to scan all of the incoming and outgoing mail. The equipment can pick up these materials."

But as long as personnel here know the rules of what can and can not be sent, the mail is guaranteed to be reach its' final destination.

Martyn Iles, civilian contractor at the RAF Fairford post office, has been working on base since 1986. He's seen Fairford "plus-up" for Desert Storm, Allied Force, and various NATO exercises. The calm-natured Englishman is confident in the post office's ability to deal with the increase in business.

"Regardless of how many people are sending or receiving mail, I can personally guarantee that the mail will get through," Iles said. "Even if it's mis-pitched it'll still get to the right zip code..that is if you wrote the right zip code."