February 24, 2021Members News Blog, 1-2021
Time to reach out to you with a Navy Postal Clerk Association update. Not much is happening now, but I will share what news I do have.
The postal reunion scheduled for April of last year (2020) in Portland, Oregon was canceled. This was because of the Coronavirus outbreak, and the riots and destruction happening in Portland. Intent was to reschedule the reunion for Norfolk, VA , in September of this year. Planning was underway to do so, but it did not pan out for several reasons. Now the tentative plan is to have a reunion next spring in a location yet to be determined. I am hoping we can pull it off.
In December 2020, the association sponsored 5 wreaths in support of the Wreaths Across America program for placement on a National Cemetery. One of the wreaths was in memory of PCCM Tommie Kelley who was cremated and his ashes interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
I try to maintain cohesiveness with our members by sending emails to my distribution list during significant holidays. Also, when I come across items of interest I believe our members would be interested in. I am unable to send to members without email because it would be to laborious and time consuming. Otherwise I would do so.
For informational purposes, the Postal Clerk (PC) rating was divested in 2009 and combined with the SK and former AK ratings to create Logistics Specialists (LS). In October 2019 the Ship Servicemen (SH) rating was changed to Retail Specialist (RS) rating, and in January 2020 the announcement of postal functions shifting from the LS to RS rating was made The transition is ongoing and expected to take a few years. Many of our retired senior postal clerks are now managing most of the large CONUS and OCONUS mail centers allowing some expertise to keep Navy Postal moving forward. Postal service aboard ships is limited. No finance service while in home-port and limited finance services while on deployment. Overseas post offices continue to provide full service.
Since the last time I sent a letter we have gained two new members. They are PCC Bill Piersol, and PC3 David Lopez.
Unfortunately the following shipmates passed on. They were PCCM Bob Clark, PCC Gary Lybarger, PCC Virgil Noe, PC2 (SW) Shemika M. Jeffries, and PCSN George Payzant. Their names have been added to the Shipmates Forever list on the postal website. And we will honor them at our next reunion.
That’s all for now.
Alan L. Hass
717-226-1595
The comments shown below were provided by Jeff Gibbs, (PCCS Ret) Director, Regional Navy Mail Center, Norfolk, VA. How many of these Postal Clerks do you know? Good luck to Shelia in her retirement.
Comments from Jeff:
Last week some of us attended the retirement ceremony for LSCM Sheila Wooden here in Norfolk. We were fortunate to share some time with some old Postal Clerks, some still in uniform, and some out of the uniform. It was great to see some old friends and catch up.
Sharing a couple of pictures from the group. You may recognize some in the picture; including myself, Maurice Tuck, Craig Houlette, LSCS Tracy Rittle, LSCS Shawn Grasty, Victor Gonzalez, Tommie Kelley, Robbie Smith, LSCM Lida Hentz, LSCS Keke Galloway, Tammie Perry, LSCM Chris Wood, LSCM Sheila Wooden, LSCS Surrette Mazique, Melvin DeWeese, Tom Wilson, Jeff Gibbs, Ed Larson, Chuck Ramsey, Larry Rapier, LSCS Maria Rodriguez, LSC Jermaine Kelley and Steve Coney.
NAVY POSTAL BOSS
Mr. Gabe Telles is the Director, Navy Postal Operations at NAVSUP (Naval Supply Systems Command) located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Gabe is a retired U.S. Air Force Lt Colonel with years of experience in the Military Postal arena. Gabe, who is well known and respected throughout the Navy postal community, has worked with all branches of the Armed Services at the Joint Military Postal Activity-Pacific (JMPA-PAC) in LAX, and also in his 4 different positions at the Military Postal Service Agency. In addition he has had assignments to field postal operations in Korea (twice), Germany, Hawaii, the Pentagon, Alexandria, VA and Arlington, VA. His overall knowledge of military postal operations at the highest level coupled with familiarity with Navy Postal and Official Mail Operations serve him well in this position. Gabe possesses the necessary expertise and attributes needed to manage Navy Postal under the changing and challenging times Navy Postal faces. Providing quality postal support to Sailors aboard ships, and Sailors and family members at overseas shore-based facilities, will be the outcome. There is also a Navy Official Mail Manager position. Recently hired into this position was Mr. Chad Hartley, a U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant who will be retiring from the Air Force in March 2016. Chad has over 20 years overseas postal duties in the Pacific, European, and Southwest Asia Theaters of Operation. In the photo below is Gabe Telles (left) and two past directors Tom Rittle (center) and our NPCA President, Al Hass
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