Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"November 2, 2001
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
November 2, 2001
Anthrax threat ends military mail programs
WASHINGTON (American Forces Press Service) -- Military post officials have reluctantly ended the "Operation Dear Abby" and "Any Service Member" postal programs Tuesday, due to the anthrax threat.
The Dear Abby program, founded by the newspaper advice columnist, has delivered mail to U.S. service members overseas during the holiday season for 17 years. "Any Service Member" mail grew out of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, but really cranked up during the U.S. assistance to Bosnia in 1995, officials said.
A written notice from the Military Postal Service Agency said the issue is personnel safety.
"The recent mail-related attacks have demonstrated the vulnerability of the postal system," officials explained.
There was no word on when either program might be resumed.