CASUALTY MAIL Casualty  mail  is  unique  to  the  MPS.    It  can  be divided into two categories, wartime and peacetime. Wartime casualty mail is mail that cannot be delivered or forwarded for various reasons.  Also included in the casualty mail status are Missing in Action (MIA), and Prisoner of War (POW). Hold mail for personnel who are killed in action (KIA) until absolute verification that the next of kin have been notified is received. This verification comes from the Command Element. This mail may be held as long as necessary to prevent inadvertent disclosure of casualty status before official notification of next of kin. Once verification has been received, then the mail should be returned to the sender or forwarded to the next  of  kin,  accompanied  by  a  letter  from  the Commanding   Officer   (refer   to   chapter   5   of OPNAVINST 5112.6). For  peacetime  purposes,  casualty  mail  refers  to personnel  who  have  died  by  accident  or  have  been killed;  personnel  who  are  missing,  or  have  been hospitalized.  When a person dies, the procedures are the  same  as  in  wartime.    Mail  will  be  held  until verification of death is received.  Then the mail can be forwarded or returned as needed.   Mail for personnel that  are  hospitalized  can  be  forwarded  once  their hospital address is known, or the mail can be held until the person returns to the command or unit. Endorse casualty mail as follows:    DECEASED.   When the member has died and next of kin has been notified.    SEARCH. When  the  member’s  status  is unknown and the mail is being forwarded to the MPO or casualty mail section.    PATIENT. When   the   member   has   been hospitalized  and  the  hospital  is  known  (also include  the  ward  number  and  current  hospital address).    HOSPITAL  SEARCH.    When  the  member  is evacuated  through  medical  channels  to  an unknown hospital and mail is being forwarded to a casualty mail section. Under no circumstances should the endorsements MISSING, KILLED IN ACTION, or WOUNDED be placed on casualty mail. DEAD MAIL Dead mail is undeliverable matter that cannot be returned to the sender.   Some reasons mail cannot be returned to the sender include:    Sender is unknown.    Classification  of  the  mail  does  not  entitle  it  to return service. Process dead mail as follows:    Endorse   the   article   with   the   reason   for non-delivery.  If the addressee is unknown, then endorse it “ATTEMPTED, NOT KNOWN.”    Prepare a PS Label 22, Dead Mail Matter (see figure 11-24).  When the volume of dead mail is more than one item, bundle the mail.  Prepare a PS Label 22 and attach it to the top item only. Each  dead  parcel  must  have  a  PS  Label  22 attached to it. Send  all  dead  mail,  except  unendorsed  Standard Mail  (A),  to  the  respective  Mail  Recovery  Center 11-25 PCf1124 First Class Mail Postage & Fees Paid USPS Permit No. G-10 US POSTAL SERVICE FOR MAIL RECOVERY CENTER At  ST PAUL MN   552001-9609 DEAD MAIL MATTER When the amount of mail to be sent is sufficient for pouching or sacking, fold this label and use as a pouch or sack label; otherwise use it as a package label. use this label for transmitting dead mail. POSTMARK OF MAILING OFFICE 30 JUN 2001 Label 22, December 1994 Postmark with the APDS. Enter the respective MRC address base on your theater of operation. Figure 11-24.—An example of a completed PS Label 22, Dead Mail Matter.