1. February 11, 2010 PARAGLIDE 7A
Mail to Haiti Soldiers continue to aid Haiti effort
to begin soon
by Spc. A.M. LaVey Most distribution points open the U.S. military to respond to
XVIII Abn. Corps PAO around 7 a.m. and are finished domestic national emergencies,”
issuing rations by 9 a.m. The process Kane said. “This same infrastructure
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Joint ends around 2 p.m., and preparation lends itself to immediate response
Task Force – Haiti is continuing its for the next day begins. to international humanitarian aid
by Spc. A.M. LaVey is a joint effort between efforts to support the World Food “At the end of the day, we sit missions, as well.”
XVIII Abn. Corps PAO the DoD, the U.S. Postal Program’s structured bulk food down and assess what happened The task force will remain here,
Service, and the liaison distribution program here. that day and when necessary, make supporting the U.S. Agency for
P O R T- A U - P R I N C E , between the two - the “February 5, elements of the task adjustments to make the whole International Development as long as
Haiti — U.S. postal Military Postal Service force supported nongovernmental process better,” said Kane. it is needed.
inspectors have arrived Agency. organizations in distributing 1.4 “U.S. forces will move to where “The military portion of the
here to conduct security “When the postal million bulk rations to 165,000 Haitian there is still a need for us and we will operation, if you follow historical
assessments and to help inspectors turn in their citizens at 16 main distribution go where there are no other assets to trends, will probably last 45 to 50
set up an Army post report, the JTF-H will points,” said Col. Gregory Kane, assist,” said Kane. “In the upcoming days,” said Kane. “Then you will see
office, as well as to assist work with MPSA and director of operations for the JTF-H days, when more coalition forces other agencies, both international and
with the restoration the USPS to do what and XVIII Airborne Corps. arrive, we will reorient ourselves American, step forward and take on a
of mail service to the needs to be done to get Task force operations have gone to the areas with less NGO and aid larger role.
earthquake-ravaged postal operations up according plan, with U.S. forces representation.” “Everyone here is working for
country. and running,” said Lt. working in cooperation with the “These techniques, capabilities one effort and that is to provide aid,
“We have 30 days from Col. Edward Allen, chief United Nations, the government of and levels of organization that we humanitarian relief and disaster
the time we arrive in of postal operations for Haiti, and NGOs. are employing here is what allows assistance to the Haitian people.”
country to set up military JTF-H.
mail service,” said Sgt. 1st There must be facilities
Class Matthew Nelson, and personnel to
Joint Task Force - Haiti accomplish the mission.
J-1 noncommissioned Transportation needs
officer in charge. “The to be secured and
civilian postal inspectors coordinated, postal
will determine what Soldiers need to be in
needs to be done before country, routes need
we have an Army postal to be cleared, security
unit arrive.” measures must be in
According to a U.S. place, unit mail clerks
Postal Service press must be trained and the
release, this experienced necessary equipment
team of postal inspectors must be in place.
has sharpened its skills “To get to the point
in the aftermath of such where a Soldier can
large-scale disasters as receive mail here, we
Hurricane Katrina. have to build the airmail
One of the inspectors, terminal at the airport so
Kenneth Miller, has also that we can receive the
been battle-tested as the incoming mail,” said.
former chief of postal Allen. “From there, we
operations for the Iraq take the mail, receive it
theater, before he retired and sort it so that the
from the Army. mail can be transported
“This mission is a to the units. The lack
lot different because of postal infrastructure
the Haitian postal in Haiti will make it
infrastructure is difficult to meet the 30
nonexistent,” explained days guidance. In the
Miller. beginning, the post will
Nelson also highlighted be limited in scale to
the challenges of what can be sent and
implementing mail received.”
services in Haiti. The Soldiers tasked
“Postal service was with setting up the JTF-H
stopped because the main Army Post Office are
facility was destroyed, so from the 502nd Postal
there is currently no mail Platoon, 502nd Human
coming in or going out at Resources Company,
this time,” Nelson added. Brigade Troops Battalion,
For this reason, the 4th Sustainment
postal inspectors and Brigade, 13th
Soldiers have their work Sustainment Command
cut out for them. (Expeditionary), Fort
“We are going to have Hood, Texas.
to build this Army post The postal platoon,
office from the ground whose mission is to run
up,” said Miller. a military post office and
Re-establishing postal assist in mail terminal
services in Haiti requires and distribution facilities,
close coordination with will have 48 hours to set
the Department of up the APO, said Miller.
State, the U.S. Agency “The middle of
for International February is the target
Development and date for postal operations
various components to begin. The ground has
of the Department of already been broken on
Defense. a military mail terminal
The process of setting and the troops are on
up an Army post office their way,” Miller said.