Please Mr. Postman

Our mail service here is definitely hit-or-miss.  I am not sure of the actual process--it is the US Postal Service but the people working in our base post office are Navy personnel, not contractors.  Mail coming to me has taken anywhere from 6 days to 8 weeks.  It seems that most people who work in our post office are not always the sharpest knives in the drawer, but in all fairness, I don't know how the process works.  Maybe all the mail has to clear Japanese customs first?  Maybe all the mail goes to a central military base in Japan and is then scattered throughout the country.  I don't know.  What I do know is that recently a memo was sent out stating that for mobile FPO units (i.e. Matt's ship), mail needs to include the nine-digit "zip plus four" on all mail.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is resizing military mail operations to minimize costs and realize efficiencies in mail delivery. As part of this resizing effort, new procedures affecting mobile FPO addresses have been implemented to fully leverage automated mail sorting equipment and reduce manual sorting workload. Every Navy mobile unit (SHIPS, SQUADRONS, DETACHMENTS) has a unique 9 digit zip(Plus) four FPO Zip Code. Effective immediately, the sender must include the correct and full zip(PLUS) four on mail or USPS will return mail to sender endorsed undeliverable as addressed.

I don't know how or if it affects the mail coming to our "home" FPO box but I will say anything that expedites/automates the mail process for us would be a good thing.  So, going forward, when sending anything to us either at home or to Matt on the ship, please uses the "zip (plus) four."

Our home zip:  96321-0003

Matt's zip on the ship:  96617-1656

Remember, mail is always welcome.  :-)  If you need our address, please contact me.  (I haven't posted it for obvious reasons.)

Also, my apologies either now or in advance for any one's birthday/holiday cards that were/are/or will be late.  Mail going out is kind of a mystery to me and I still haven't wrapped my head around having to send everything out two weeks in advance yet.  Maybe by the time we are ready to leave....