"Mail call. Mail call. Mail call is being held in the ship's post office. Mail cards are required," says the voice over the 1MC. Logistics Specialist Seaman D. A. Garcia, a postal clerk aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), props open the post office door and waits for divisional mail orderlies to collect their mail.

Harry S. Truman's post office began using virtual box numbers for the ship and crew in February. It helps remove delays associated with mail being sent to other ships.

"What [virtual box numbers do] is make the ship addresses compatible with the United States Postal Service (USPS) addressing management," said Chief Logistics Specialist M. D. Carey, the ship's postal officer. "With the unit and virtual box number, it now comes directly to the ship and as soon as we get it, we can deliver it to the crew."

Delivering mail quickly is significant, but accuracy and accountability of tracking mail are just as important.

"We try to get mail out as fast as possible," said Garcia. "Some of the mail is really important - especially personal mail for the crew. We also get mail that's necessary for some departments to do their jobs, so we must make sure it gets to them."

Since returning from deployment in April 2014, Truman's post office has sent and received more than 520,000 pounds of mail.

"We get a lot of people sending and receiving mail," said Garcia. "I like it because I get to meet a lot of people that I normally wouldn't meet. We help them send letters, cards and even gifts they buy in port. They receive care packages and letters with things like pictures from home and things they can't get on the ship."

Intelligence Specialist Seaman A. E. Marlette said he looks forward to receiving mail with pictures of his daughter.

"I get mail about three times a week," said Marlette. "I feel blessed and excited when I see that I have a package."

Postal clerks can be seen onloading and passing out mail, but there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Postal clerks maintain a complete accountability for all personnel on the ship so they can forward mail to Sailors after they transfer. Once the mail is routed to the military post office and distributed to different commands, postal clerks have to separate it into divisions and put them in the correct boxes.

According to Carey, Truman's postal clerks are like a military extension of USPS and their goal is to get mail to the ship faster and more efficiently. Even with the new mail system, they still require the help of the crew to get mail where it needs to go.

Garcia runs the training program that qualifies Sailors as mail orderlies. After going through the mail orderly class, Sailors receive mail cards that allow them to pick up the mail for their divisions.

During mail orderly class, Sailors learn the requirements necessary to maintain, manage and distribute mail among their divisions. For previously qualified mail orderlies, the class serves as a refresher and it's also mandatory annual training.

"They learn how to handle mail correctly and about the safeguarding of mail that cannot be distributed right away," Garcia. "They learn about signing and receiving accountable mail or parts, how to address mail and how to forward the mail of transferred personnel."

Each division can have up to eight mail orderlies who are issued mail cards that must be presented when picking up mail. This ensures that the mail orderly is properly qualified and up to date with their training.
Marlette said the importance of Sailors receiving mail cannot be understated because it positively affects morale.

"Mail brings motivation as well as happiness to Sailors," said Marlette. "It's very encouraging to receive mail and Sailors should be able to get that encouragement daily."

Carey said postal clerks can also receive motivation from delivering mail to the crew.

"It energizes me to come in every morning and make sure we do the best job possible," said Carey. "Just giving out packages and seeing the smiles on their faces brings us joy. It makes me happy to know that it boosts morale. I didn't realize that until I came to the post office and I was like, wow, one package can make a Sailor's life light up. That's what makes me want to wake up each morning and do this job."

For more news from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), visit www.navy.mil/.