Posted on Jul 15, 2015
Who remembers standing in formation for mail call? Does the military still conduct mail call?
236K
8.9K
1.29K
632
632
0
I was recently reminded me of the importance and significance of mail call especially in the days before email, cell phones and texting existed in the 1950's 1960's, 1970's and I think through the 1980's. Waiting with anticipation in formation as a young enlisted man in sun, snow, rain or wind for mail call. The weather was much less important than hearing the names of friends called out to get mail and then hearing my own name which was wonderful. Going back to the barracks to smell envelopes from girl friends, read the letters on my bunk.
Later as a cadet at West Point one of the duties of the freshman class known as plebes was to distribute the mail to the upper classmen. It was a very important function and seemed to release a sense of common humanity and a brief period of humane treatment.
After I was commissioned in 1980, my mail was delivered to me except when we were away from home station when we would have mail call or else wait until the operation was over and then mail would be distributed.
Images: mail call wingen 70th ID WWII; Korean War early afternoon mail call brought these Thunderbirds in the 279th Infantry; Mail call! Pfc Glen Zachery of the 19th Army Postal Unit brings a sack of mail to the
Later as a cadet at West Point one of the duties of the freshman class known as plebes was to distribute the mail to the upper classmen. It was a very important function and seemed to release a sense of common humanity and a brief period of humane treatment.
After I was commissioned in 1980, my mail was delivered to me except when we were away from home station when we would have mail call or else wait until the operation was over and then mail would be distributed.
Images: mail call wingen 70th ID WWII; Korean War early afternoon mail call brought these Thunderbirds in the 279th Infantry; Mail call! Pfc Glen Zachery of the 19th Army Postal Unit brings a sack of mail to the
Communications
Military History
Troops
Edited 4 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 377
Suspended Profile
I enlisted in the Army around March 1990. I experienced mail call in basic and AIT but had p.o. boxes at permanent duty. I remember getting so much mail one day that I had to crawl on the ground to retrieve it all. The Drill SGT was like, " Great idea! From now on, everyone will low crawl to get their mail." I was hated by all that day and I became affectionately known as buddy f*cker Brown.
3
3
0
2015-18
At Fort Riley, either get mail delivered to the mailroom at your barracks and hope you are able to leave to get mail (I was a 92G; and for those unable to secure a PO Box at the barracks mailroom) or get a PO Box at the USPS on post. I went with the latter.
On rotation to South Korea, we had our mail delivered to the company "mailroom" at the company motorpool.
At Fort Riley, either get mail delivered to the mailroom at your barracks and hope you are able to leave to get mail (I was a 92G; and for those unable to secure a PO Box at the barracks mailroom) or get a PO Box at the USPS on post. I went with the latter.
On rotation to South Korea, we had our mail delivered to the company "mailroom" at the company motorpool.
(3)
(0)
3
3
0
Yes I remember mail call, standing in line for payday and inspection prior to liberty . Served 1958-1980, mostly under water (SS)
SCPO Sikes
SCPO Sikes
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend [1889237:SCPO Lloyd Sikes] for responding and letting us know that you remember mail call, standing in line for payday and inspection prior to liberty . Served 1958-1980, mostly under water (SS)
FYI LCDR Dan EddingerPO1 Michael G.CWO3 Randy Weston PO3 Charles Streich PO3 Edward Riddle PO1 Kevin Dougherty PO1 Howard Barnes
FYI LCDR Dan EddingerPO1 Michael G.CWO3 Randy Weston PO3 Charles Streich PO3 Edward Riddle PO1 Kevin Dougherty PO1 Howard Barnes
(2)
(0)
3
3
0
I was at AL Udied on the S Team in 2003 and I'm trying to remember how we received mail I sort of remember mail call when I first arrived then I believe we just went to the PO on our own
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend MSgt Mason Manner for letting us know that you were deployed to "AL Udied on the S Team in 2003 and I'm trying to remember how we received mail I sort of remember mail call when I first arrived then I believe we just went to the PO on our own"
FYI MSgt Janice Trojan 1SG Paul Ayotte MSgt Dee Ann P. PV2 Scott MolletteSPC Bill Bailey1SG Patrick Burke SPC Robert Coventry SPC Gary C. SPC William Weedman SGM Gerald Fife
FYI MSgt Janice Trojan 1SG Paul Ayotte MSgt Dee Ann P. PV2 Scott MolletteSPC Bill Bailey1SG Patrick Burke SPC Robert Coventry SPC Gary C. SPC William Weedman SGM Gerald Fife
(2)
(0)
3
3
0
In Basic Training only.
It was thrown at our face by the Drill Sergeants for the "trainee" to pick up. Reason.
We weren't "worthy" to receive mail by hand until after B.T. Graduation.
It was thrown at our face by the Drill Sergeants for the "trainee" to pick up. Reason.
We weren't "worthy" to receive mail by hand until after B.T. Graduation.
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SFC James Corona for responding and letting us that in your case [like many of us] that mail call was only performed in basic training and AIT.
I am sad to learn that your BCT drill sergeants threw the letters at you.
I am sad to learn that your BCT drill sergeants threw the letters at you.
(1)
(0)
3
3
0
How about Pay Call in Korea, you get cash, you pay old soldiers home, you pay AER and then the 1SG is waiting at the end of the line for the House Boy fund. Lol… fun times.
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend 1SG Edward Cullen for responding and letting us know that you also remember pay call in Korea.
I am posting a link to my parallel question on Pay Call
Who remembers pay call? What country(ies) did you receive pay call in?
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/who-remembers-pay-call-what-country-ies-did-you-receive-pay-call-in
I am posting a link to my parallel question on Pay Call
Who remembers pay call? What country(ies) did you receive pay call in?
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/who-remembers-pay-call-what-country-ies-did-you-receive-pay-call-in
Who remembers pay call? What country(ies) did you receive pay call in? | RallyPoint
I remember pay call while being stationed in Bamberg, Germany in the early 1980's. I think pay call was only used for forces stationed overseas [expect that includes all Navy vessels as well] where a choice of currency to receive your pay made sense. Pay call made sense when many service members did not have direct deposit for their salary. I don't know if pay call still exists and where it is used. [Update July 19] I was an infantry training...
(2)
(0)
3
3
0
Does "your crap is in the mail room, they're open from 10:42 to 11:03 every second Tuesday on Months that end in T" count as mail call?
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Sadly, but true, my friend CPL Thomas Smith limited mail facility hours also count as mail call IMHO. :-)
(0)
(0)
3
3
0
I can remember standing in formation for mail call. Some soldiers got lots of mail from their family and girlfriends while the envious stood by. You could tell if it was from a girlfriend because they always “sniffed” the envelope. And that was back in the seventies. I was also probably one of the last to peel potatoes while sitting on the back steps of the mess hall.
I came in under the new “VOLAR ARMY”, aka all volunteer Army. I saw my pay go from $99/month to over $300 while in basic. Not bad back then for clothes on your back, three squares, and a warm bunk. At least most of the time.
Time warp forward to the 90s when I was in the Aeroscout school at Ft Rucker we had our own mailboxes at the company mailroom.
Nowadays, “snail mail” has given way to email, email has given way to Skype, Skype has given way to Zoom. Oh, how I sometimes long for the old ways of doing things.
I came in under the new “VOLAR ARMY”, aka all volunteer Army. I saw my pay go from $99/month to over $300 while in basic. Not bad back then for clothes on your back, three squares, and a warm bunk. At least most of the time.
Time warp forward to the 90s when I was in the Aeroscout school at Ft Rucker we had our own mailboxes at the company mailroom.
Nowadays, “snail mail” has given way to email, email has given way to Skype, Skype has given way to Zoom. Oh, how I sometimes long for the old ways of doing things.
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SSG James Knopp for responding and letting us know that you enlisted in "the new “VOLAR ARMY”, aka all volunteer Army. I saw my pay go from $99/month to over $300 while in basic."
"Some soldiers got lots of mail from their family and girlfriends while the envious stood by. You could tell if it was from a girlfriend because they always “sniffed” the envelope. And that was back in the seventies."
Then a decade and some years later ...
"Time warp forward to the 90s when I was in the Aeroscout school at Ft Rucker we had our own mailboxes at the company mailroom.
Nowadays, “snail mail” has given way to email, email has given way to Skype, Skype has given way to Zoom. Oh, how I sometimes long for the old ways of doing things."
FYI CW5 Sam R. Baker CW5 John M. CPT Ronald Beebe MAJ Michael Bressler LTC William Conrad LTC Wayne Dandridge BG David Fleming III CPT (Join to see) MAJ Raymond Haynes LTC Jeff Jones CPT Alan W. COL Ciro StefanoLTC Jeffrey Stephens BG William Wolf LTC (Join to see) MAJ Matthew Arnold LTC Paul Belobrajdic CPT Hannibal Bray LTC (Join to see)
"Some soldiers got lots of mail from their family and girlfriends while the envious stood by. You could tell if it was from a girlfriend because they always “sniffed” the envelope. And that was back in the seventies."
Then a decade and some years later ...
"Time warp forward to the 90s when I was in the Aeroscout school at Ft Rucker we had our own mailboxes at the company mailroom.
Nowadays, “snail mail” has given way to email, email has given way to Skype, Skype has given way to Zoom. Oh, how I sometimes long for the old ways of doing things."
FYI CW5 Sam R. Baker CW5 John M. CPT Ronald Beebe MAJ Michael Bressler LTC William Conrad LTC Wayne Dandridge BG David Fleming III CPT (Join to see) MAJ Raymond Haynes LTC Jeff Jones CPT Alan W. COL Ciro StefanoLTC Jeffrey Stephens BG William Wolf LTC (Join to see) MAJ Matthew Arnold LTC Paul Belobrajdic CPT Hannibal Bray LTC (Join to see)
(0)
(0)
3
3
0
In basic we had a private named Bray, who had the biggest overbite you ever saw, so of course every time his name was called we would make a horse braying sound quietly “HrrrRrr-r-r”. Then one day during mail call the drill Sgt called out “Bray!” And then quietly but loud enough “… hrrr-r-r” it was like hearing a dirty joke in church, I was holding in a laugh so hard I was crying, like I was trying to pinch off a loud fart or a sneeze; and then everyone broke out giggling and then outright howling laughter. One of the best moments from basic.
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SPC Cory Thomson for responding and sharing your expereince in basic training about the private name with the lat name of Bray
(0)
(0)
3
3
0
Yes, I do remember mail calls, back in the day what I didn't like doing mail calls was "Air Mail". About 85 out of 100, all of my mail was air mail. When they smell it just before putting it in the air. LOL
(3)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend and brother-in-Christ MSgt Robert E. M. and letting us know that most of your mail was sent by air mail.
(2)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google
Hopefully the nickname 'buddy f*cker Brown' stayed at that unit and did not PCS with you.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs Col Carl Whicker Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj Robert Thornton SFC John Lich SGT (Join to see) SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM SSG Robert Mark Odom MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi SPC Woody Bullard SPC Randy Zimmerman FN Randy Bohlke SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik Sgt Jackie Julius SMSgt Lawrence McCarter PO1 H Gene Lawrence MSgt David Hoffman SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL