14 FAH-5 H-400
processing dpo MAIL
14 FAH-5 H-410
INCOMING MAIL
(CT:DPO-27; 07-26-2021)
(Office of Origin: A/LM)
14 FAH-5 H-411 responsibility for incoming mail
(CT:DPO-27; 07-26-2021)
Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) personnel (postal officer, DPO supervisors, and DPO clerks), acting as United States Postal Service (USPS) agents, are bound by 39 U.S.C. 406 - Postal services at Armed Forces installations and must follow USPS policies, regulations, and guidance when engaged in mail processing and/or delivery. These procedures and regulations cannot be waived or mitigated by the Department.
14 FAH-5 H-412 Processing Incoming Mail
(CT:DPO-27; 07-26-2021)
This subchapter’s objective is to describe how to process incoming mail through the Department’s DPO. DPO mailroom personnel shall use the DPO module in the Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS) to process all incoming mail. When processing incoming mail, DPO clerks shall:
(1) Review the "Incoming Mail" and/or "Mail Not Yet Delivered" reports in ILMS DPO to verify incoming consignments dispatched to post prior to collecting incoming mail at the airport. This report can be generated via the ILMS DPO Home Page under "Managerial Reporting";
(2) Ensure that all mail is destined for the respective DPO by checking the Universal Postal Union (UPU) barcoded label for your respective ZIP Code prior to acceptance from the designated agent at the warehouse. If misrouted mail arrives at the airport intended for other destinations, do not accept the mail; instead, leave that mail with the air carrier or ground handler for re-routing to the correct destination;
(3) Follow RSO procedures for screening all inbound DPO mail before it enters the chancery, because the mail is an untrusted source and does not receive any type of screening by USPS. During this process, DPO mailroom personnel shall maintain the integrity of the UPU barcode and the Product Tracking and Reporting (PTR) barcode association by opening and processing one sack at a time, then placing the cleared mail back into the sack with the corresponding UPU barcode and recording any discrepancies on a separate log. For all mail that is not cleared during the screening process, the DPO supervisor shall report the incident to the postal officer (PO) and the regional security officer (RSO) for further instruction. Best business practice dictates installing a computer workstation with ILMS access at the mail-screening site. This improves efficiency and effectiveness for the processing of incoming mail;
(4) Process all UPU barcode labels and PTR barcodes in ILMS DPO. When processing PTR barcodes, enter the customer's name using the customer directory in ILMS DPO to verify that the addressee is an authorized user (see 14 FAH-5 H-211.2); and
(5) For additional instructions on how to process incoming mail, see ILMS Training Tutorials. For further guidance, you may submit a support ticket through the ILMS Self Service Portal (SSP).
14 FAH-5 H-413 DPO Mail Delivery
(CT:DPO-27; 07-26-2021)
When delivering mail, DPO clerks shall:
(1) Verify that the addressee is an authorized user if not listed in the ILMS Customer Directory. This can be verified with the PO;
(2) Ensure that the name on the mail piece matches the name on the receptacle before placing the mail inside the receptacle. If names do not match, check the ILMS customer directory. If the mail appears to be undeliverable as addressed (UAA), see 14 FAH-5 H-432.2 for procedures. If the name is not found in the ILMS customer directory, check with HR to determine if the person is inbound/newly assigned;
(3) Only place mail items bearing postage, or other items authorized by USPS or DPM, in mail receptacles. Process and deliver mail (by class) in the following order: Priority Mail Express, First-Class and Priority Mail, Periodicals (magazines and newspapers), and Standard Mail. NOTE: Local fliers are not authorized; and
(4) See 14 FAH-5 H-420 for procedures for handling accountable mail.
14 FAH-5 H-414 holding dpo Mail for pERSONNEL due to arrive at post
(CT:DPO-27; 07-26-2021)
a. Mail will be held for personnel due to arrive at post based on the guidelines listed herein:
(1) The office sponsor or HR should notify the DPO supervisor of a person scheduled to arrive prior to their arrival, and provide the estimated time of arrival (ETA), full name of authorized customer(s), contact email, telephone number, and names of all eligible family members on travel orders who will accompany them; and
(2) DPO clerks will assign the incoming personnel a receptacle and inform the sponsor of the mailing address.
b. For incoming personnel who have not arrived by the ETA date provided by the sponsor or HR, the DPO clerk shall take the following actions:
(1) Contact the office sponsor or HR 15 days after the ETA date and request a status update:
(a) If a new date is provided, continue to hold mail based on the new date; or
(b) If a new date is not provided, mail may be held for an additional 30 days;
(2) Contact the office sponsor or HR on day 30 and request a status update of the customer:
(a) If the sponsor provides a new ETA date, continue to hold mail based on the date provided; or
(b) If the sponsor is unable to provide a new ETA date, the mail will be returned to sender and endorsed "Attempted Not Known"; and
(c) Close the assigned receptacle and inactivate the personnel record from the customer directory in ILMS DPO.
14 FAH-5 H-415 THROUGH H-419 UNASSIGNED