SEMBACH, Germany – While his supervisor describes him as the “poster child” for the Installation Management Command Europe Postal Operations Branch, Frederick Morris insists the real stars are the front-line staff working at the 34 postal facilities across Europe he helps support as the postal transportation coordinator.
“There’s more to it than what people see,” Morris said of Europe’s postal operations. As the transportation coordinator, Morris ensures mail moves out via ground transportation once it arrives at Frankfurt airport in Germany, or one of the smaller postal hubs in Europe.
“It’s morale,” Morris said. “People love getting mail,” and he added, he loves his job ensuring its delivery.
Morris started his federal service 34 years ago, straight out of high school, as an Army cook stationed in Germany
. While that may not seem like a natural transition into postal service, Morris said his role was to facilitate the logistics of delivering rations to all of the dining facilities. After his four years of service, he started looking for jobs and transitioned to the postal center in Darmstadt.
Since he started working in postal operations, Morris said he’s seen staffing numbers fall and automation move in, but his favorite part of the job is still customer service. While he doesn’t have face-to-face interaction with customers as often, he said he loves interacting with the postal personnel at the Army’s facilities.
While each postal service center is a little bit different based on facilities and capabilities, Morris said customers can help keep the mail running smoothly by checking their mail regularly and ensuring they have customs and finance information ready when mailing items out.
“There’s a lot of work that’s in the back, and people don’t realize that or see that,” Morris said. For those who want to learn more about the process, Morris suggested checking out volunteer opportunities at a local postal service center, and reiterated it’s the front-line staff who sort and deliver tons of mail daily that deserve the communities’ recognition and thanks.
Social Sharing