Shipping at Ramstein during holidays

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lane T. Plummer
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  The holidays are a popular time for families to buy one another gifts; and when they’re not able to celebrate the season together, these gifts are shipped. Here in Germany, the shipping process is different than the states. First, it requires the extra step of filling out a customs form. These forms require the sender to identify the package contents before it is shipped.

The Northside Post Office has these customs forms readily available and a staff ready to help those new to international shipping.

“The good news is shipping overseas isn’t that difficult,” said Staff Sgt. Tianhy Armstrong, 86th Communication Squadron postal specialist. “When you come in, we have posters on our walls that help guide you through the process of getting your items ready to ship. Not only that, but we’re all here to help you through whatever questions or issues you have.”

The second aspect is the restricted shipping dates and times. At Ramstein and Kapaun, there are certain deadlines depending on the type of mail a customer needs to ship.

For example, the recommended shipping dates for Space Available Mail is Nov. 25, and Dec. 2, 9 and 16, for Parcel Airlift, First Class/Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express.

These dates are suggested to prevent congestion during increased shipping times, Armstrong said.

“We provide Kaiserslautern Military Community members these suggested timelines in a proactive approach to prevent people from not receiving gifts from their loved ones on time,” Armstrong explained.

During the holidays, Armstrong said the amount of packages her unit processes increases to 2,000 daily, doubling the average they would deal with on a normal day. This can cause frustration, as lines can become backed up, she added.

Although members of the community may experience some of these frustrations, it’s important to remember to maintain professionalism, according to Senior Airman Angela Smith, 86th CS postal specialist.

“It’s important that we all stay patient,” Smith said. “It helps all of us if our customers stay patient and know that we are always trying our hardest to send items where they need to go with the utmost care and on time.”

Finally, postal operations will adjust their operating hours for individuals picking up parcels. During the holiday season, Ramstein’s Northside and Southside post offices will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

For more information on hours of operation and shipping during the holidays, call the Northside Post Office at 480-7857 (06371-47-7857) or the Southside Post Office at 480-2490 (06371-47-2490).