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records of these discussions to make future
inspections easier.)
Inspect incoming mail at least once a week and
report deficiencies to the originating command’s
OMM.
Inspect outgoing mail at least once a week at the
final preparation point to (1) decide who needs
additional training and what policies and
procedures need more emphasis and (2) make
sure outgoing official mail containing errors or
deficiencies in preparation is returned for
correction.
Review spoiled postage meter tapes and
establish procedures to reduce their occurrence
and ensure proper disposition has been made of
them.
Analyze the use of postage and use the results to
make the command’s official mail program more
cost-effective.
Coordinate with supporting supply and
procurement activities to ensure postal-related
items being procured such as envelopes, cards,
and labels meet standards outlined in:
– USPS regulations
– The DOD Official Mail Manual, DOD
4525.8-M
– The Navy Official Mail Management
Instructions, OPNAVINST 5218.7
– Your command’s postal Standard Operating
Procedures
Know who their USPS account representative
and other appropriate USPS officials are.
When possible, belong to and attend meetings of
the local USPS-sponsored Postal Customer
Council (PCC). The OMM should even consider
starting a PCC if one does not exist in the area.
Q13-10. What factor determines which method your
command will use for postage (postage
stamps or computer-generated postage, or
meter machine) for conducting official
mailings?
Q13-11. What form is used as a daily recap of postage
used for official mailings?
Q13-12. What form is used to audit postage stamp
stock used for official mailings?
Q13-13. Commands
that
desire
to
use
computer-generated postage must obtain a
meter license from the USPS. (True or False)
Q13-14. Subordinate official mail installations should
be inspected at least how often?
Q13-15. What form is used for inspecting official mail
facilities?
Now turn to appendix 1 to check your answers.
CLAIMS AND INQUIRIES
Learning Objective: Recall the procedures
for processing claims on official mail.
The Government Losses in Shipment Act (Title 40,
United States Code, Section 726) and the government’s
general self-insurance policy prohibit federal agencies
from using registered and insured mail for the sole or
primary purpose of obtaining postal indemnity.
Do not process claims against the USPS for
indemnity on official mail items lost or damaged in the
mail. The Comptroller General of the United States
Decision B-114874, 13 October 1978, allows the
government to use registered or insured mail only to
obtain the added protection or proof of delivery offered
by these special postal services.
Keep in mind the information just discussed.
You must remember we can only trace official mail
by using a USPS claim or inquiry form. There will
be no actual mail claims for lost, damaged, or rifled
official mail. A mail tracer can be completed and
only used to try and locate missing or rifled official
mail or the tracer form may be used to document
damage to official mail. The various post offices that
may have handled the lost mail should receive the
tracer form as an inquiry.
File a tracer immediately when the contents of a
package are known to be rifled. For lost official mail,
sufficient time must be allowed for the article to be
delivered before filing a tracer. There are minimum
and maximum time limits applicable to filing tracers
for lost mail sent to the United States or APO-FPO
addresses (refer to the DMM or POM for these time
limits).
The missing official mail may have been
misrouted or accidentally sent to another address. So
allow time for the missing official mail to reach its final
destination.
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