Photo By Tia Nichole McMillen | Sgt Ryan Deason, LS1 Frank Cetrano, and LSSN lizzle Gomez of NAVSUP FLC Sigonella's...... read more read more
You’ve got mail! It doesn’t take a deployment to know that mail call is a highlight of most Sailors’ days. As the Navy’s postal professionals, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Sigonella vastly improved postal operations in Europe and Africa within the last year.
This year, 2017, marked the first year that there were not any backlogs in mail inbound from the continental United States (CONUS) or outbound to CONUS from the Europe and Africa area of operations. Commanding Officer of NAVSUP FLC Sigonella, Capt. Dion English said, “Postal operations have a direct impact on morale and need to run seamlessly. My team conducted research, employed innovative thinking, and built authentic partnerships to quickly and effectively improve operations in Italy and across Europe and Africa.”
In order to make improvements, the team first decided on a problem set. Traditionally, holiday mail is delayed either as a result of customs delays or because of airline capacity. From 2015 to 2016, the team noted mail delays or stoppage due to Italian customs; directly relating to 125 kilograms of daily backlog during the peak holiday season. The solution was clear: improve relationships with Italian customs and secure more space on carrier generated routes.
“We function in a time where you have to do more with less—you have to learn from the past and use innovative measures to plan for the future. Our business is constantly changing and growing, and NAVSUP FLC Sigonella is at the helm of providing quality of life support through programs such as postal delivery to support the warfighter in Europe and Africa,” said Tommie Tate, NAVSUP FLC Sigonella regional postal manager.
In August, the NAVSUP FLC Sigonella postal team started negotiations with the local airlines to increase the amount of space allocated for inbound and outbound mail during the peak holiday periods. By partnering with Navy Region Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA), the postal team engaged with the Rome customs team to ensure solid relationships and sound business practices existed to prevent customs delays of holiday mail. Specifically, the NAVSUP FLC Sigonella postal team worked directly with the EURAFSWA legal office to fully implement a customs clearance program at the Rome Mail Control Activity, increasing trust between our Italian hosts, and resulting in zero delays inbound to Naples and to Sigonella.
The postal team, with support from the Rome Mail Control Activity director, met with airline leads from Chicago, Atlanta, and New York to secure an additional 2,000 kilograms on carrier generated routes. So, instead of a daily 125 kilograms backlog, there was excess space to keep the mail moving during the holiday surge. Moreover, leadership from United States Postal Service agreed to expand warehouse space dedicated to military mail movement, with a new focus and prioritized movement of military mail. This forward-thinking meant that the additional cost of using trucks for transportation was no longer necessary.
“Because of the outstanding partnership we have with our host nation, Italy, we were able to establish innovative internal controls and business practices to ensure a unified approach to postal operations,” said Tate. “But the power of partnerships doesn’t end there. On the other side of the world, the Joint Military Postal Activity, Chicago International Military Service Center (CISMC) said that in conjunction with our innovative thinking and support, it had its most successful peak mailing season in 2017, better than the past five years since consolidating mail at the Chicago O'Hare facility,” said Tate.
Lastly, and perhaps most simply, the NAVSUP FLC Sigonella postal team adjusted hours at all postal outlets to facilitate the increased holiday traffic. This allowed customers to receive their mail at a convenient time and place during the holiday surge.
NAVSUP FLC Sigonella stands ready to fulfill logistic responsibilities and serves as a vital link to enable mission success across Europe and Africa. NAVSUP FLC Sigonella is one of eight fleet logistics centers under NAVSUP, which provides global logistics, business and support services to fleet, shore and industrial commands of the Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and allied forces. Services include contracting, regional transportation, fuel, material management, household goods movement support, postal and consolidated mail, warehousing, global logistics and husbanding, hazardous material management, and integrated logistics support.
| Date Taken: | 02.05.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2018 02:53 |
| Story ID: | 264638 |
| Location: | SIGONELLA, IT |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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