You’ve probably heard about Meltdown and Spectre, two security flaws in hundreds of millions of computers and mobile devices that could allow hackers to steal passwords and other sensitive information. The USPS Vulnerability Management and Assessment (VMA) team works to protect postal computer systems against these and other security threats. The team focuses on two […]
The Postal Service will release Flag Act of 1818, its latest Old Glory-themed stamp, this week. To help mark the occasion, here are six flag facts you didn’t know. 1. The flag didn’t always have 13 stripes. The Flag Act of 1777 created the first official version of 13 alternating red and white stripes and […]
USPS is offering a new training course to help Postmasters and customer service managers deliver exceptional service during every transaction. The course, Providing Exceptional Customer Care (course number 10026877), is available through the Integrated Human Resources System, a new online learning portal. The course explains how delivering great service can help USPS grow its business […]
Nikki McKenney, the retail associate mentioned in “Finn’s tale,” and all the other employees at the Fredericksburg, VA, Post Office’s Falmouth Branch are amazing, wonderful people. I see them almost every day. Thank you for recognizing them and their kindness toward 3-year-old Finn Blumenthal and his family. […]
Letter Carrier Jeremy Roush was recently delivering mail in Athens, OH, when a crisis erupted at an apartment building. Roush was servicing a neighborhood delivery and collection box unit when residents began streaming out of the high-rise — home primarily to Ohio University students — as smoke billowed from it. One of the residents screamed […]
Highlights from the recent Peace Rose stamp dedication ceremony are featured in a new video from the Postal Service. The stamp was dedicated in April at the American Rose Center in Shreveport, LA. “The Peace Rose is one of the most famous roses of all time and very deserving of its place on the U.S. postage […]
Postal Service employees across the nation are learning how to promote safe workplaces through the organization’s new safety ambassadors program. Safety ambassadors are voluntary positions that help identify and abate hazards, raise awareness of safe work practices, and improve communication on safety matters. USPS is now training the ambassadors who responded to the organization’s call […]
Sally Ride was the first American woman to travel into space, but that wasn’t her only claim to fame. Here are six more fascinating facts about the subject of the Postal Service’s latest stamp. 1. She was a lifelong stamp collector. Ride especially liked stamps that featured the Olympics and space exploration. 2. She had […]
Jeannine Zimmerman was alone at her home in St. Paul, MN, on a recent snowy day when she stepped outside and fell, becoming stranded out of sight and earshot of passersby. Twenty minutes later, Letter Carrier Michael O’Neill arrived to deliver Zimmerman’s mail — as he’s done for 16 years — and discovered her. The […]
I loved “Musical notes,” the story about how singer Lauren Sanderson connects with her fans through letter writing. She may have saved many of these young people’s lives by lending them an ear through written communication. […]
In his role as a postal inspector, Carroll Harris helps protect veterans from scams. For him, the job is personal. Harris is a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve who has spent the past 28 years working closely with men and women who wear the nation’s uniform. “When I first joined the Marines, I […]
If you have questions about your benefits, the Postal Service has answers. You can now go online to post your questions and get answers from the Benefits and Wellness team. You can ask about health plans, retirement options, flexible spending accounts, commuter programs and other benefits-related topics. The discussion board is part of the IdeaSMART […]
Sally Ride is on the move again. The Postal Service will release its Sally Ride stamp Wednesday, May 23, honoring the pioneering astronaut and brilliant physicist who became the nation’s first woman in space. After completing her doctorate in physics, Ride joined NASA’s 1978 class of astronaut candidates for the space shuttle program, which was […]
To help celebrate the new United States Air Mail stamps, here are five facts about airmail service. 1. Charles Lindbergh was an airmail pilot. Before he made his record-breaking solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, Lindbergh was the chief pilot for a company that held a contract to provide airmail service between Chicago […]
Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan is expressing appreciation for employees’ efforts as the organization prepares for this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive, to be held Saturday, May 12. The National Association of Letter Carriers leads the annual one-day drive with help from USPS and other partners. “Across the nation, Postal Service employees are doing […]
I like Link’s new “On the job” feature. It shows the diversity of the USPS workforce. It’s nice to read about postal workers. […]
Letter Carrier Heidi Wiederspahn was recently delivering mail in Sandy, UT, when she grew concerned about a residential customer, Florence Stuck, whose mail was piling up. Wiederspahn knew that the sight of Stuck’s car in the driveway normally meant she was at home, but she didn’t respond when the Postal Service employee knocked on the […]
A new Postal Service video offers an overview of the Hatch Act — and the potential consequences when the rules aren’t followed. The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, while wearing a uniform, while on federal property or while inside a federal vehicle. The […]
To mark Public Service Recognition Week, which began May 6, here are five facts about USPS employees and the nation’s other civil servants. 1. USPS employs 644,000 public servants. The postal workforce includes approximately 166,000 letter carriers; 128,000 retail associates; 69,000 rural carriers; 31,000 building and equipment maintenance workers; 39,000 mail handlers; 8,000 motor vehicle […]
I absolutely loved “To honor his father,” the story about Memphis, TN, Lead Automotive Technician Melvin McCoy, who honored his father during the recent 50th anniversary commemoration of the historic Sanitation Workers’ Strike and March. We’ve come a long way as a nation. […]
A Postal Service customer in Royal Oak, MI, recently faced a dire situation: She lived alone and suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and unable to get to a phone for nearly 24 hours. However, the woman knew that when her mail came, so would a chance to get help. She yelled out […]
The Link team is continuing to hear from readers who’ve stopped receiving emails from the USPS News Link account. Everyone with a postal email address should receive the following emails: Link, a compendium of recent stories that is sent each weekday Link Recap, a roundup of stories that readers might have overlooked that is sent […]
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month — an annual celebration of the nation’s 20 million Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders — began May 1. About 50,000 Postal Service employees identify as being Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. This represents approximately 7.9 percent of the USPS workforce. The organization celebrates the contributions of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders […]
Postal Service employees will collect donations for local pantries Saturday, May 12, during the 26th Annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Here are some facts from Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, along with information about Stamp Out Hunger. 1. Forty-two million people in the United States — or about 1 in 8 Americans […]
Letter Carrier Kun Kim was recently delivering mail in a San Antonio neighborhood when he saw customer Mark Hencke in his front yard. Everything seemed fine at first, then Hencke suddenly collapsed. Kim immediately called 911 and stayed with Hencke until emergency responders arrived. Soon after returning home from a 19-day hospital stay, the customer […]
Thank you for “Passing the torch,” the wonderful article about the family who ran the Youngsville, NM, Post Office for three generations. It’s so inspiring to see a positive story about women of color in the Postal Service. […]
Did you know you can adjust your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions at any time? You don’t have to wait for the annual open season benefits enrollment period to make changes to your account with TSP, the retirement savings plan for federal employees. To view or adjust your TSP contributions, use PostalEASE on LiteBlue. You’ll […]
Joseph Dlask recently received a surprise from his manager: A thank-you note. Sharon Turner-Hall, an address management systems manager for Great Lakes Area’s Central Illinois District, pulled aside Dlask and presented him with the personalized card to express her appreciation for his work. “She told me she couldn’t do it without me,” said Dlask, a […]
You know science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are important to the nation’s future, but do you understand why? To help you learn more about the subjects of the new STEM Education stamps, here are five facts from the Pew Research Center. 1. The STEM workforce is growing. As of 2016, 17.3 million workers ages […]
Are you sprinting? The Sprint to 10 Million Challenge, an initiative to sign up new users for Informed Delivery, is underway. The goal is to have 10 million Informed Delivery users by Sunday, May 6, when this year’s National Postal Forum begins. Informed Delivery currently has about 9 million users. Informed Delivery is a free feature […]