KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - The 21st Theater Sustainment Command and U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz hosted postal training for soldiers from throughout the Army on Panzer Kaserne Jan. 13-30.
The 10 soldiers attending training came from Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Bragg, N.C., and the Kansas City, Mo. National Guard. The trainees will deploy in the near future in support of U.S. Forces Kosovo and will be responsible for managing Army Post Offices in their respective areas, said Master Sgt. Theresa R. Lee-Love, the senior human resources noncommissioned officer for the 21st TSC's 1st Human Resources Sustainment Center postal division and a native of Minneapolis.
"We provided the soldiers with extensive classroom and hands on training in all aspects of postal services," said Lee-Love. "We want them to go into country with a very thorough understanding of postal operations because mail is an important mission. When a soldier gets a package from back home or a letter, that is an important thing to them."
The first week of training was held in a classroom. The trainees learned about the regulations and forms involved in managing a post office. They also learned how to fill out customs forms, use the point of sale system to accept money from their clients, how to manage postal personnel and how to manage unit mail rooms, said Spc. Malcolm L. Massey, an assistant custodian of postal effects assigned to the 18th Human Resources Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade and a native of Prince Georges Country, Md.
"We got some very detailed classes on everything involved with postal operations, which will make our mission in Kosovo a lot easier," Massey said. "This training will also benefit us if we ever leave the Army. It will make it easier to possibly get a job with the postal service."
For the last two weeks of their training, the soldiers did hands on training with the U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland Pfalz Post Office on Kleber Kaserne and the Mail Distribution Node on Panzer Kaserne. There they helped manage all aspects of postal operations to solidify what they learned in class, said Sgt. Victor Rincon, a postal noncommissioned officer assigned to the 35th Infantry Division and a native of Kansas City, Mo.
"The hands on training in the post office and mail distribution node was very beneficial because we got to observe all the processes and get involved with them ourselves," Rincon said. "I feel confident in what I have learned here and am excited about performing this mission in country."
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