Spreading holiday cheer is busy work

By Sgt. 1st Class Jim Wagner
157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Public Affairs

The mail clerk is one of the most popular people to deployed Soldiers, and at no time is that more true than during the Christmas holiday season - especially for nearly 200 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers deployed at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.

Soldiers from the Milwaukee based 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB) and Company F, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment arrived a few days before Thanksgiving in support of the United Nations peacekeeping mission as Kosovo Forces (KFOR) 15. After approximately three months of mobilization training, mail from home is a welcome sight.

Being away from home during the holidays is always tough, according to logistics officer Capt. Johnathan Koeppen of Milwaukee.

"This is my third deployment and being away from family and friends never gets any easier," Koeppen said. "It is so nice to pick up a package sent from my family or my friends and read the cards and see how much support I have. It's a nice break from the action and makes me feel connected to those at home."

As expected, there is a lot of mail coming from family and friends, said Sgt. Jessica Simmons, a Multi-National Battle Group-East mail clerk assigned to Task Force Falcon, the headquarters element of the battle group. The Macon, Ga., resident is responsible for sorting and processing mail for approximately 400 people in the battle group.

Simmons and her assistant - Pfc. Clinton Glenn, a driver and administrative specialist on loan from the Joint Implementation Commission section during the holiday mail surge - deftly maneuver through the cramped space available after Monday's delivery of packages.

For the Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers, it's their daily job to take the large stacks of mail that arrive and sort them by section and individual.

Despite being assigned to a hectic duty away from his assigned responsibilities, Glenn said he has enjoyed the work so far, and the perks.

"I get to get my mail before anyone else without waiting," the Atlanta resident said with a laugh. "It keeps me busy, but being occupied is a good thing."

Mondays, according to Simmons, are the busiest day of the week - with the post office closed on Sundays, it means an extra day of accumulated mail. On this particular day, there were 41 pieces of accountable mail items - insured, certified or registered mail requiring a signature - and approximately 120 non-accountable items.

She said the record, currently held by Kosovo Forces 14 from last year, is 122 accountable items in one day. Since there is no official tally for non-accountable mail, there is no way to measure what the grand total might have been.

But, Simmons said, she expects to see her office get close to that amount before Christmas comes and goes, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Mail is a nice surprise at any time, but during the holiday season it helps bring a taste of home to us," according to Staff Sgt. Sara Anderson of Eau Claire, Wis. "It's amazing how receiving mail can immediately brighten up your day and put a smile on your face."