# Questions for Posties



## WrenchBender (4 Jun 2009)

A couple of questions for the posties on here, specifically how mail to KAF is handled.
Why does it take so long for mail to arrive in KAF from Belleville/Trenton ?
Tracked mail from home to Belleville/Trenton- 2 days, from there to KAF/Company office 17+ days. 
It can't be lack of Aircraft, I know what we park on a daily basis. Aussies get a minimum of daily mail delivery to KAF, same with the USPS (dedicated flight), what gives with Canada Post/Mil Mail.

WrenchBender


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## George Wallace (4 Jun 2009)

Has this not been answered in other topics?  What is loaded on the aircraft is prioritized; bullets, rations, fuel and spare parts having a higher priority than mail.


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## WrenchBender (4 Jun 2009)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Has this not been answered in other topics?  What is loaded on the aircraft is prioritized; bullets, rations, fuel and spare parts having a higher priority than mail.


That would be true if Canada was managing the only supply chain into KAF(thank god they don't). Without breaking OpSec, the stuff you mention comes in many ways. I see the space available on the A/C that come here on a daily basis. There is lots of space for mail bags. Consolidating loads, ie waiting until there is a full tri-wall/pallet is bullshit. It could go civvy route to mirage and then on to the mil flights to KAF.
If Canada Post took that long to deliver mail, or if a contracted carrier decided there wasn't enough space on an A/C to Resolute Bay, there would be hell to pay. Why do the Military and us Civvies have to put up with second rate service. 
If a Postie can give me a relevant answer it would be appreciated.

WrenchBender


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## aesop081 (4 Jun 2009)

WrenchBender said:
			
		

> I see the space available on the A/C that come here on a daily basis. There is lots of space for mail bags.



Just something for you to consider from an aviation perspective, space is only one factor. Weight is an even bigger one, even more so in hot and high environments. If something takes up only half an aircraft but it max out the aircraft weight for those performance numbers, you are going to see a half-full aircraft arrive.

Furthermore, did that aircraft arrive in KAF direct from its point of origin ? Did it possibly make any other stops prior to KAF where it could have dropped off stuff/passengers ? Space on an aircraft doesnt mean it was like that when it left its departure point.

Is whats inside dangerous cargo ? Some items can't be shipped with anything else.........

See where i'm going with this ?


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## WrenchBender (4 Jun 2009)

Cdn Aviator
To your first para, I fully understand weight/space/performance numbers as they pertain to A/C ops. 
Specific answers to the rest can cross into OpSec. Strat may/may not have stopped over enroute. Tac originate here or are shared national flights from xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
What I am trying to ascertain is whether the option of using commercial flights to deliver to xxxxx or xxxxxxx is even considered. 
If I had other options other than the canadian military mail system I would gladly use them. It really sucks for the guys who work with me from other countries that have to send their mail thru Canada.

WrenchBender


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## Gramps (4 Jun 2009)

All of those airplanes you see with all that extra space are not necessarily at the disposal of the CF (By the way I did 7 months at KAF CATO so I may have a little insight in how the planes are used). If you saw just how much mail we get here in Trenton (I work in an office directly related to this so I also have first hand knowledge of this too) you would be surprised, and that doesnt include all of the other priority freight we handle on a daily basis. To send that volume of mail on a commercial aircraft would be extremely expensive especially if it were a passenger aircraft and was taking valuable space from the baggage compartment of the aircraft, also if it went commercially into a third location there would be the issues of Customs involvement. I dont know if you have ever tried to pre clear items in that part of the world but it can be a waste of time (yup, did that too). Now, if the items get through customs with no problems then they have to be picked up and taken to whatever staging area is near by and then once again you are at the mercy of priority items. So, yes I suppose this mail could theoretically be shipped commercially to a third location but it wouldnt really get there any faster. Now if you want a commercial aircraft to fly into KAF then you could probably expect the cost to sky rocket. Now, I may not be a Postal Clerk but I am the guy they come to when they need space on an aircraft.


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## WrenchBender (4 Jun 2009)

Gramps,
Thanks for some insight, I work at ACS here in KAF, we park them, CATO loads them. 
It's strange that the Fleet Post Offices manage to make mail meet up with our ships all over the world using commercial air. BTW international mail only needs to clear customs at the destination country. As canadian mail is mailed to the NATO base (KAF) there is no customs clearance involved. 

WrenchBender


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## George Wallace (4 Jun 2009)

Do you still need a POSTIE to come and give you an answer?


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## Franko (4 Jun 2009)

Seeing that this thread just went into OPSEC...it's locked.

*The Army.ca Staff*


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