Tuesday, July 29, 2025
The Eagle looks at the Postal Service’s high-flying history
With its summer issue, the magazine joins the organization’s 250-year celebration
From its revolutionary birth in 1775 to today’s ongoing transformation plan, the Postal Service has constantly evolved to meet every national moment and deliver to every address in the nation, The Eagle magazine reports in its summer issue.
The cover story and accompanying timeline highlight how USPS has embraced a spirit of innovation to unite the country, as well as the effects of postal legislation, the introduction of new products and other defining moments during the past two and half centuries.
Other topics include the increased use of Marketing Mail and First-Class Mail by businesses in the Mail Growth Incentives program, how operational improvements and refined service standards are improving the postal network’s precision and reliability, and achievements in the first four years of the Delivering for America plan.
The issue also looks at Smokey Bear, a cultural icon who became so popular he has his own ZIP Code; a Benjamin Franklin who’s on the postal payroll in Las Vegas; and the Boston birthplace of that other Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s first postmaster general.
The Postal Service mailed The Eagle to employees’ homes this month. It is also available on Newsroom, the USPS online news hub.
Service, community and trust
A new video showcases the 250 Years of Delivering stamps
The Postal Service has released a video to promote its new 250 Years of Delivering stamps.
The stamps, released last week, are part of the organization’s 250th anniversary celebration and feature interconnected images of mail delivery in an urban neighborhood.
“Each stamp captures a moment in a mail carrier’s daily route, together telling a story of service, community and the 250 years of trusted delivery,” the narrator says.
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There are rules governing how USPS manages personal information
The Privacy Act of 1974 must be followed when data is collected
The Postal Service is reminding employees and contractors to follow the Privacy Act of 1974.
The law governs how federal agencies collect, use, maintain and disseminate personally identifiable information about individuals held in their systems of records.
Each time the Postal Service collects personal information from an employee, customer or business partner, the organization must provide that individual with a notice telling them:
• How the information will be used and disclosed;
• How they will be affected if they do not provide their information; and
• The statutory authority for collecting the information.
If the Postal Service begins collecting a new type of personal information, it may be necessary to create a new system of records or update an existing one. This requires publishing a notice in the Federal Register, a process that may take up to four months or longer.
If a business initiative involves any personally identifiable information, employees should email the USPS Privacy and Records Management Office to determine if Privacy Act rules apply.
Once the Postal Service collects and maintains personal information, there are limits to what can be disclosed outside the organization. USPS employees or contractors are also typically prohibited from accessing such information, except on a need-to-know basis.
Postal Service employees also should never enter the organization into any contract that requires compliance with state privacy laws or those of foreign countries.
Employees with questions should email the USPS Ethics Office.
Sensitivity labeling now available for ACE users
Postal Service employees and contractors who use ACE computers can apply sensitivity labels to classify and protect USPS information.
These labels help protect files and communications by controlling who can view or edit them. They also add visual markings, such as watermarks, headers or footers, to indicate classification. Additionally, the labels provide user-friendly workflows, ensure compliance with USPS policy and enhance data security to reduce the risk of breaches.
Sensitivity labels can be applied to emails; Teams and Outlook events; Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files; Microsoft Teams sites; SharePoint and OneDrive files; Power BI datasets; and Microsoft 365 Groups and SharePoint sites.
The labels are currently optional but will become mandatory.
The Sensitivity Labeling Initiative Blue page has more information.
