Photo By Thomas Kreidel | The NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Regional Navy Mail Center (RNMC) recently...... read more read more
The NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Regional Navy Mail Center (RNMC) recently stood up a remote operation at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. to support continuous mail service to its customers during a scheduled three-month runway closure at Norfolk’s Chambers Field.
According to RNMC Director of Postal Operations Tom Wilson, the primary impact was mail service provided to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “Without a nearby Military Air Terminal to support Guantanamo Bay customers we had to shift their logistics support to Joint Base Charleston, S.C.,” said Wilson. “Also, all United States Postal Service (USPS) Registered Mail that must be flown by military air to various European and Southwest Asia destinations shifted to Joint Base McGuire-Dix in Lakehurst, N.J., he added.
NAVSUP FLC Norfolk provided two Sailors to support the temporary shift of operations in Charleston. They are Chief Retail Specialist Ebony Sweat and Retail Specialist Second Class Jordan Silva. They were joined by Retail Specialist First Class Jorge Beteta and Logistics Specialist Third Class Alexus Hayes from NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville.
“This boots on the ground support is not only labor, but logistics planning and coordination,” said Wilson. “It includes scanning of all retrograde mail from outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) prior to being sent to USPS International Sorting Center for U.S. Customs inspections as Charleston is the first point of entry into the Continental United States (CONUS).” He added that along with the provided labor they also provide shipping materials.
Wilson explained that a great deal of planning was done ahead of time to make sure this evolution was successful. “More than 300 skids and empty tri-walls were sent down and put in place and will be recycled between prograde and retrograde shipments to and from Guantanamo Bay,” Wilson. “RNMC Norfolk worked with the Special Handling Unit at Joint Base McGuire Dix to ensure Registered Mail would be securely coordinated for expeditious shipment of time-sensitive Navy-Wide Advancement Exams.”
Wilson personally coordinated re-routing of all mail from the Miami International Sorting Center to Charleston via Columbia, S.C. This is mail for destination zip codes of FPO AA 34009 and 34010. Ordinarily this mail is received at RNMC Norfolk from Miami to be shipped to Guantanamo Bay via Military Air from the Norfolk AMC Terminal.
In addition to getting their mail to them, all retrograde mail coming off GTMO that is subject to customs inspections is now being scanned at Joint Base Charleston and uploaded into the Automated Military Postal System (AMPS) before being sent to New York for customs inspection and clearance. The AMPS application is shared information between the Department of Defense and USPS.
The first flights to and from Guantanamo Bay were on Sept. 1. Service will be rerouted back through Norfolk once the Chambers Field repairs are complete in December.
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2023 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 453652 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 160 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NAVSUP FLC Norfolk Supports Postal Operations Related to Runway Closure, by Jim Kohler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Joint Base Charleston Air Force North
