What's up with the mail? Contact with troops involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom (Vanity)

self | 4/27/03 | LouD

[LouD]

I have a cousin who is currently in Iraq with 3rd Bde of 3ID. While I'm sure he's fine, his mom, like all moms, is somewhat prone to worry. Neither his family, nor his fiance, have heard anything from him since well before the war started - His last letter was dated 4 March.

His habit was to write his fiance once a day, and his family at least every few days. Now I know that they were pretty busy for much of the intervening time, the operational tempo has certainly slowed by now, and I can't believe that the logistical system can't support at least minimal outbound mail, of the "hi mom - I'm OK" sort.

Military postal types used to pride themselves on making the system work - And there probably isn't a private in the Army who hasn't been asked by every visiting bird colonel or above, "Getting your mail, son?"

So I'm curious what other people's experience has been in receiving mail from Iraq. Is anyone hearing from deployed servicemembers? Is outbound mail getting sent? Are they getting incoming mail, or packages, with any regularity?

[LouD]

Admin Mods: Please let this one float for a little while before banishing it to chat. I'd like to hear about other FReepers experience.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

The Weekly Standard had a piece a couple of weeks ago on the Army's mail problems (including the 3rd ID).

[LouD]

Thanks. I saw that article, and, while the kinds of problems that they mentioned regarding mail deliveries for the troops are unacceptable, they are at least somewhat understandable. Regular mail delivered in a timely fashion to your home is an amazing logistical exercise - Think about doing the same thing in a war zone, with units moving, etc - And it is more important to deliver food, water, ammo, and POL than it is to deliver mail. So there is at least a logical case for problems in getting mail to the troops.

However, I'm wondering why there is no outgoing mail. All those trucks, choppers, and aircraft coming this way, empty after delivering all the other logistical requirements of deployed units, surely must have room for a bag of outgoing letters.