JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is harnessing the power of data to improve Department of the Air Force installation mail services.
The center is using Automated Military Postal System, or AMPS, data to expand Intelligent Lockers to more bases, incorporate parcel lockers and streamline mail centers with online mailing subscriptions.
The idea for intelligent lockers took first place in the 2021 AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo. The first lockers opened at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in 2022, followed by Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England in 2023 and more recently at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Eglin AFB, Florida.
“By using supporting data, our team decides the best fit for each installation when it comes to parcel and intelligent lockers based on funding and demand,” said Salvador Orozpe, Official Mail and Postal Program manager. “These lockers help reduce the burden on Airmen and Guardians by allowing them to pick up packages at their own convenience.”
Airmen living in dorms often work swing shifts or are away on temporary duty, preventing them from picking up their packages due to limited post office hours. The lockers provide flexibility for those working various schedules, Orozpe said.
The lockers are equipped with a detailed delivery and tracking process and Airmen instantly receive an alert via email or text notification when packages are ready for pickup. The lockers free up space, mailroom processing times, and simplify the parcel delivery process for Airmen and Guardians on base.
“Placing these lockers in a centralized location near dorms offers Airmen and Guardians 24/7 access,” said John Acosta, AFIMSC postal specialist.
AFIMSC is also using AMPS data to streamline mail rooms at installations across the Department of the Air Force through online postage services, which saves $95,000 annually with more savings as transitions occur.
“This initiative is cutting mailing machine costs for the Air Force and CONUS Official Mail operations by up to 90 percent and the savings will continue to grow as we transition additional bases,” Acosta said. “Our goal is to have all the installations that need mail transition completed by 2029.”
AFIMSC’s Official Mail and Postal Program collects and evaluates quarterly data through AMPS to determine which installations are better suited for online postage services based on the volume of mail passing through each facility.
"After looking at the data and using continuous process improvement, our team determined some installations did not need the costly high-volume mail machines we’ve been using,” Orozpe said. “We researched cost-effective alternatives we could implement to meet the needs of each installation.”
Web-based mailing solutions for online postage services include supplies needed for mailing such as printers, postage stickers, scanners, handheld computers, and scales. Previously, all Air Force and Space Force official mail rooms were equipped with high-volume mail machines costing up to $40,000 per machine, plus yearly maintenance fees.
“The web-based solution for online postage services gives our postal workers the same access to mailing tools as they had before but at a fraction of a cost,” Acosta said.
The official mail and postal program team continues to prioritize bases that will benefit from transitioning to an online postage service. Currently, 20 bases are using the online mailing subscriptions.