14 FAM 700
DIPLOMATIC POUCH AND MAIL services
14 FAM 710
general information
(CT:LOG-244; 03-27-2018)
(Office of Origin: A/LM)
14 FAM 711 OBJECTIVEs and policies
(CT:LOG-223; 05-03-2017)
a. This chapter sets forth regulations for all users of
the Department's diplomatic pouch, mail, and messenger services.
Responsibility for operating these services, and authorizing use of the
services, rests with the Diplomatic Pouch and Mail Division Director, in the
Office of Program Management and Policy, Office of Logistics Management, Bureau
of Administration (A/LM/PMP/DPM).
b. Summary of general policies:
(1) Send unclassified official items to post by
unclassified diplomatic pouch (address Washington, DC 20521-xxxx) for all
posts; however, send official supplies to post by U.S. Despatch Agency;
(2) Send classified official items to post by
classified diplomatic pouch for all posts (see 14 FAM 723.1,
paragraph c);
(3) Send personal items to post by MPS/DPO,
international mail, or border support address where available. Where there is
no available service, send personal items to post by unclassified diplomatic
pouch (address Dulles, VA 20189-xxxx);
(4) Shipment of employee's household effects (HHE),
unaccompanied baggage (UAB) and consumables to post through the diplomatic
pouch and mail system is prohibited. Employee personal effects shipments are
managed through A Bureaus Travel and Transportation Management Office
(A/LM/OPS/TTM); and
(5) Items Prohibited for Pouch Dispatch are listed in 14 FAM Exhibit
723.2
c. Information: The A/LM/PMP/DPM Web site provides a
useful information, references, updates, and contact information
http://pouch.a.state.gov.
d. Contact: A/LM/PMP/DPM can be contacted via e-mail
at DPM-Answerperson@state.gov on the Departments Global Address List (GAL).
14 FAM 712 SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY
(CT:LOG-223; 05-03-2017)
These regulations apply to all U.S. Government employees
who use the diplomatic pouch and mail services, provided by the Departments
Diplomatic Pouch and Mail Division (DPM):
(1) Diplomatic pouch: DPM
provides classified and unclassified diplomatic pouch services for official
items to all agencies operating abroad under chief-of-mission (COM) authority
(see 14 FAM 720
and 14 FAH-4 H-200);
(2) Official mail: DPM
provides personnel and procedures for entering official items into the United
States Postal Service (USPS) and commercial transportation companies. DPM also
operates an Internal Mail and Messenger Service (IMMS) to transport official
items between Department annexes in the Washington metropolitan area (see 14 FAM 730 and 14 FAH-4 H-300);
(3) Personal mail: Official
mail systems may not be used to transport personal mail. DPM provides some
limited personal use of the diplomatic pouch, by employees at posts abroad,
where it has been determined by the Director of A/LM/PMP/DPM that USPS or
international mail service is insufficient (see 14 FAM 740 and 14 FAH-4 H-300);
(4) Military postal service (MPS):
The MPS processes personal and official mail for authorized personnel to and
from Department of Defense installations abroad. MPS operates on behalf of the
USPS, and is responsible for carrying out USPS policies, procedures, laws and
regulations governing the USPS. Where MPS facilities are located at Department
posts abroad, Department personnel may use the MPS for personal mail only (see 14 FAM 712,
subparagraph (4)); and
(5) Diplomatic post office (DPO):
The DPO processes personal mail for authorized personnel to and from selected
posts abroad. DPO operates on behalf of the USPS, and is responsible for
carrying out USPS policies, procedures, laws and regulations governing the USPS
(see 14 FAM 760
and 14 FAH-5).
14 FAM 713 AUTHORITIES and references
(CT:LOG-223; 05-03-2017)
Authorities and references include:
(1) 18 U.S.C. 83, section 1719 (franking privilege);
(2) 31 U.S.C. 9701 (fees and charges for Government
services);
(3) 39 U.S.C. 406 (postal services at armed forces
installations) and 39 U.S.C. 413 (postal service at diplomatic posts);
(4) 39 U.S.C. 3401 (free military mail privileges in
war time) and 39 U.S.C. 3406 (free mail services for balloting materials);
(5) Title 49 CFR 100 through 49 CFR 185 (hazardous
materials regulations);
(6) Title 41 CFR 102 through 41 CFR 192 (mail
management);
(7) International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Dangerous Goods Regulations;
(8) Article 27 (diplomatic pouch) and Article 40
(diplomatic couriers), Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;
(9) Department of Defense (DoD) Postal Manual
4525.6-M;
(10) U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Domestic Mail Manual
(DMM) and International Mail Manual (IMM);
(11) USPS Postal Operating Manual (POM) and
Administrative Support Manual (ASM); and
(12) General Services Administration (GSA) Mail Center
Security Guide, Third Edition 2014.
14 FAM 714 roles and RESPONSIBILITies
FOR DIPLOMATIC pouch and mail
14 FAM 714.1 Policy Guidance
(CT:LOG-59; 05-06-2009)
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Logistics Management in
the Bureau of Administration:
(1) Provides broad policy guidance and direction in
carrying out the provisions of this chapter and 14 FAH-4; and
(2) Serves as the final authority concerning requests
for changes in mail management policies and procedures.
14 FAM 714.2 Departments Official
Mail Manager (OMM)
(CT:LOG-223; 05-03-2017)
a. The Director of the Diplomatic Pouch and Mail
Division (A/LM/PMP/DPM), as the Official Mail Manager (OMM) of the Department:
(1) Interprets existing official and personal mail
policies and procedures; formulates changes to policies and procedures; and
presents division-cleared changes to A/LMs Policy Branch for clearance and
publication;
(2) Advises on the development and deployment of the
Diplomatic Pouch and Mail (DPM), Courier Travel System (CTS), Mail and
Messenger Service (MMS), and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) modules of the
Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS);
(3) Ensures that mail management training is
available; and
(4) Is the single point of contact on all official and
domestic mail matters with the General Services Administration (GSA), the
Department of Defense (DoD), the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA), the
United States Postal Service (USPS), and other federal agencies.
b. In addition, the Departments OMM is responsible for
submission of the Departments annual mail management report to GSA, due
annually on January 15, (see 41 CFR 102.192)
c. For additional duties of the Departments OMM see 14 FAM 737.1,
paragraph a.
14 FAM 714.3 Appointed Officials
(CT:LOG-244; 03-27-2018)
There are four types of officials to be appointed at the
bureau or post level:
(1) The bureau or post OMM is responsible for mail
management at the bureau or post level (see 14 FAM 737.1,
paragraph b);
(2) The pouch control officer (PCO) is responsible for
implementing pouch policies and procedures at facilities where diplomatic
pouches are processed (see 14 FAM 728.1);
(3) The bureau or post mail control officer is
responsible for ensuring employee compliance with mail and correspondence
policies and procedures (see 14 FAM 737.2);
and
(4) Postal officers are responsible for implementing
mail policies and procedures at posts with diplomatic post office facilities
(see 14 FAM 763).
DoD also appoints postal officers at missions with military postal facilities
(see 14
FAH-4 H-113.1).
14 FAM 715 DEFINITIONS (acronyms,
technical terms, and phrases employed in pouch and mail operations)
(CT:LOG-244; 03-27-2018)
Accompanied pouches: Pouches
escorted from origin to destination by cleared U.S. citizen employees of the
Federal Government; i.e., a professional diplomatic courier or a
nonprofessional courier appropriately approved according to 12 FAM 142.
Addressee: Person or
organization that receives items through the diplomatic pouch and mail service.
Army (or Air Force) post office (APO):
A military post office of the Army or Air Force.
Bulk shipment: Official or
personal shipment(s) that arrive at DPM/U or post DPO within 7 calendar days
(whether a single item or multiple parcels) which exceeds 6 cubic feet in
volume (approximately the size of 5 copy paper boxes) and is addressed to one
addressee/household. Bulk shipments also include automotive tires (whether a
single tire or multiple tires), and shipments that originate from the same
location/ZIP addressed to multiple people at post and appear to have been sent
in order to circumvent the bulk shipment policy (see 14 FAM 723.3).
Classified pouch/mailroom: A
core controlled access area and/or vault located at an embassy or consulate
approved for the storage of Top Secret material in which items are processed
for distribution.
Commercial transportation company:
Any private commercial company such as FedEx, UPS or freight forwarder that
transports items for a fee.
Congressional mail: Mail for
Members of the United States Congress.
Correspondence: An official
item that is not entered into the postal system and does not have postage
affixed, and that is transported between Department entities, usually in a
messenger envelope.
Crate: A non-conveyable item
in a hard container usually tripled walled cardboard or wood construction. The
Department of State requires that a crate be covered in burlap (see 14 FAH-4
H-213.1-1).
Defense Courier Service (DCS):
The Defense Courier Service is established under the United States
Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) and is a global courier network for the
expeditious, cost-effective, and secure distribution of highly classified and
sensitive material for the Department of Defense (see 14 FAH-4 H-260).
Despatch Agency (DA): U.S.
Despatch Agencies are regional logistics hubs that can help posts determine the
best source of supply and choose the most cost effective shipment method. The
Department should utilize the U.S. Despatch Agents when shipping official
supplies and equipment from the United States.
Diplomatic and Consular Program
(D&CP): An appropriation by Congress to the Department of State,
the D&CP account funds States salaries and expenses, overseas operations
(e.g., motor vehicles, local guards, telecommunications, medical), activities
associated with conducting foreign policy, passport and visa applications,
regional bureaus, Under Secretaries, and post assignment travel.
Diplomatic Post Office (DPO):
A postal facility that operates at one of the Departments missions abroad as a
branch post office of the USPS.
Diplomatic pouch or bag: A
sealed, opaque container which, according to Article 27 of the Vienna
Convention on Diplomatic Relations:
(1) Must bear visible external marks of its character;
(2) May contain only diplomatic documents or articles
intended for official use (see 14 FAM 721,
paragraph b); and
(3) May not be opened or detained (see 14 FAM 722).
Diplomatic Pouch and Mail (DPM):
The division within the Office of Program Management and Policy, Office of
Logistics Management, Bureau of Administration, responsible for operations and
regulations relating to the movement of diplomatic correspondence both
internally (through the mail) and abroad (through the pouch). Generically, DPM
is also used as an abbreviation for the words diplomatic pouch and mail when
not referring to the office division of A/LM.
DMM: The Domestic Mail Manual of the United States
Postal Service.
Domestic: Field offices of
U.S. Government agencies located in the 50 States, the District of Columbia,
and all territories and possessions of the United States.
DoD: Department of Defense.
DPM/C: Diplomatic Pouch and
Mail Division, Classified Pouch and Mail Processing Branch (office symbol:
A/LM/PMP/DPM/CPM), located at SA-8 in Springfield, VA.
DPM/U: Diplomatic Pouch and
Mail Division, Unclassified Pouch and Mail Processing Branch (office symbol:
A/LM/PMP/DPM/UPM), located at SA-32 in Sterling, VA.
DS/C/DC: Diplomatic Courier
Service of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
Eligible family member: A
family member under the definition of 14 FAM 511.3
who is residing at the sponsoring employees post of assignment abroad and is
counted as a dependent under ICASS.
Employee: Assigned personnel
(U.S.-based direct hire) of the Federal Government as described in 6 FAH-5
H-352.1. For categories of persons authorized or not authorized to use the
diplomatic pouch, see 14 FAM 724.
Flat: Mail that is not letter
mail and is not contained in a hard container, i.e. magazines, newspapers, or
catalogs. According to the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, flat-size mail is:
(1) More than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than 6-1/8
inches high, or more than 1/4 inch thick;
(2) Not more than 15 inches long, or more than 12
inches high, or more than 3/4 inch thick; and
(3) Flexible; rectangular; uniformly thick; and
unwrapped, sleeved, wrapped, or enveloped.
Fleet Post Office (FPO): A
military post office of the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.
Gift: A bona fide gift is an
article formerly owned by a donor who gave it outright in its entirety to a
donee without compensation or promise of compensation (see 19 CFR 10.152), (See
Goods and Merchandise).
Goods: Good means any
merchandise, product, article, or material, whether having commercial or
intrinsic tangible value (see 19 CFR 10.450).
Homeward bound mail service (HBMS):
A private mail service provided by employee associations located at Foreign
Service posts to authorized U.S. citizen employees or contractors at no cost to
the U.S. Government (see 14 FAM 745).
HST: Harry S Truman Building
(Main State).
Integrated Logistics Management System
(ILMS): A computerized data and tracking system used by the Office of
Logistics Management in the Bureau of Administration.
ILMS CTS: The Courier Travel
System module of the ILMS computer system.
ILMS DPM: The Diplomatic Pouch
and Mail module of the ILMS computer system (for classified and unclassified
channels).
ILMS DPO: The Diplomatic Post
Office module of the ILMS computer system.
ILMS MMS: The Mail and
Messenger Service module of the ILMS computer system.
Internal Mail and Messenger Service
(IMMS): The service operated by the Department to deliver internal
items, correspondence, and mail between Department mail rooms in the Washington
metropolitan area.
International Air Transport
Association (IATA): The International Air
Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines that
helps formulate industry policy and standards. It also regulates the shipping
of dangerous goods and publishes the IATA Dangerous
Goods Regulations manual, a globally accepted field source reference for
airlines shipping hazardous materials. IATA is
headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Geneva, Switzerland.
International Cooperative
Administrative Support Services (ICASS): It is the policy of the
Department of State to provide shared administrative services for U.S.
Government agencies at posts abroad using a voluntary interagency mechanism for
managing and funding those services, and using a full-cost recovery system
which is transparent, fair, and equitable. ICASS applies to the management and
funding of all shared administrative services abroad and related costs at
participating agencies headquarters. ICASS involves all participating U.S.
Government agencies at all posts.
Item: A letter, flat, parcel,
or non-conveyable that is processed by the DPM or IMMS system (see also Mail
and Correspondence).
Label: Any address, return
address, registry, or identifying label affixed to an item of mail.
Lateral mail: Mail sent directly
from one Foreign Service post to another.
Lateral pouch: A diplomatic
pouch sent directly from one Foreign Service post to another.
Letter: According to the USPS
Domestic Mail Manual, standard letter-size mail is:
(1) Not less than 5 inches long, 3-1/2 inches high,
and 0.007-inch thick; and
(2) Not more than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than
6-1/8 inches high, or more than 1/4-inch thick;
(3) Not more than 3.5 ounces; and
(4) Rectangular, with four square corners and parallel
opposite sides.
Locally employed staff (LE staff):
The general term used for Foreign Service nationals, as well as some U.S.
citizens who ordinarily reside in the host country and are thus subject to its
labor laws (see 3
FAM 7121). For the purposes of 14 FAM 700 and 14 FAH-4, LE staff includes
all staff employed locally at post, including those employed by agencies (such
as Peace Corps) who do not use the overseas employment system managed by the
Department (HR/OE).
Mail: A letter, flat, parcel,
or non-conveyable on which U.S. postage has been paid and which is deposited
into the U.S. Postal System either domestically or via a DPO. Mail that is
delivered to DPM/C and DPM/U for transmittal to a post abroad by diplomatic
pouch becomes an item upon delivery into the DPM system, at which point it
ceases to be subject to USPS rules and regulations and becomes subject to
Department rules and regulations.
Mail operations center: The
facilities at HST, SA-1, SA-5, and SA-9 that are operated by A/LM/PMP/DPM and
that process mail, items, and correspondence for the Department (see 14 FAM 731).
Mailroom:
(1) A facility at a post abroad that processes mail,
correspondence, and items in unclassified diplomatic pouches, and/or that
processes mail in the MPS or DPO system;
(2) A facility at a domestic office that processes
mail, correspondence, and items, under the operational control of a bureau
other than A/LM/PMP/DPM; and
(3) A facility at a Washington metro annex that
processes mail, correspondence, and items, under the operational control of a
bureau other than A/LM/PMP/DPM (see also Mail Operations Center). (See 14 FAM 731.)
Mail screening facility: At
posts abroad, a facility outside the main building, preferably a removable
modular facility, or in an area or device that has its own ventilation system,
where mail is screened for suspicious characteristics before entry into the
U.S. Government facility (see 14 FAH-4
H-121.1).
Mail stop: A physical location
where an internal messenger system picks up and delivers mail.
Merchandise: Goods or
commodities, regardless of size, form, or value, having commercial value.
Military post office (MPO):
Either an Army post office (APO) that serves the Army or Air Force or a Fleet
Post Office (FPO) that serves the Coast Guard, Navy, or Marine Corps. The
terms APO and FPO are used in addressing mail to an MPO. Where operating under
chief-of-mission authority, MPOs are to be used to send and receive personal
mail but must not be used to send or receive official Department mail.
Military Postal Service (MPS):
The Military Postal Service (MPS) is an extension of the United States Postal
Service (USPS) which establishes branch post offices at camps, posts, bases, or
stations of the Armed Forces and at defense or other strategic installations.
It provides full postal services, as nearly as practicable, for DoD personnel
abroad where there is no USPS post office available. These branch post offices
are called APO or FPO.
Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA):
The DoD postal policy agency designated as the point of contact with the United
States Postal Service (USPS).
Mission: See post.
Non-conveyable: Any item that
will not fit into a pouch bag.
Office of Inspector General (OIG):
An office of the Department that provides policy direction for and conducts,
supervises, and coordinates audits, investigations, and inspections relating to
the programs and operations of the Department (see 1 FAM 050 for
further description of the responsibilities of OIG).
Official items: Mail,
correspondence, and contents of packages intended for the official use of the
U.S. Government.
Official mail manager (OMM):
An individual, whether by position or appointment, who is responsible for:
(1) Interpreting and carrying out regulations relating
to official mail; and
(2) The acquisition, use, and disposition of mail
supplies and property. Bureau and post OMMs are responsible for:
(a) The proper use of mail supplies and property; and
(b) The budgeting and expenditure of appropriated funds
for postage and fees.
Since the OMM function is an inherently governmental
function, it must not be contracted out (see 14 FAM 737.1).
Parcel: An item in a hard
container; i.e., cardboard, plastic, fiberglass, metal, or wooden box, weighing
70 pounds or less and measuring no more than 108 inches in length and girth
combined. See USPS Domestic Mail Manual for definitions of machine-able
parcels, irregular parcels, and outside parcels.
Personal items: Contents of
packages intended for the private, individual use of authorized personnel.
Post: U.S. embassies,
consulates, and diplomatic offices throughout the world and U.S. missions to
international organizations, except those located in the continental United
States.
Postal officer: Direct-hire
U.S. citizen employee with a secret security clearance, responsible for the
operation, safety, security, accountability, and efficiency of diplomatic post
offices at posts with those facilities. The postal officer ensures compliance
with Department, United States Postal Service, and local regulations relating
to postal operations. Conducts inspections and ensures mail is delivered in a
timely and efficient manner (see 14 FAM 763).
Pouch control officer (PCO):
Direct-hire U.S. citizen with a top-secret security clearance, who is
responsible for enforcing regulations relating to the classified and
unclassified diplomatic pouch (see 14 FAM 728).
Pouch Label: An ILMS generated
bar-coded label that is attached to the pouch tag and shows origin address,
channel of dispatch, weight, and destination address.
Pouch Tag: A piece of reusable
durable material attached to a diplomatic pouch that has the pouch label
affixed to it (see 14 FAH-4 H-214).
Retrograde Mail: Mail that is
being returned to the United States.
Return Address: Generally
considered the sender of the shipment, whether a person or organization, to
which a shipment should be sent back to if it cannot be moved through the
diplomatic pouch and mail system. It provides the recipient (and sometimes
authorized intermediaries) with a means to determine how to respond to the
sender of the message if needed. A valid return address cannot be the delivery
address.
Sac vides: Empty diplomatic
pouches being returned to the Department or country of origin.
Seal: A tamper-proof device
used to close a diplomatic pouch (see 14 FAH-4
H-213.3-2).
Sender: Person or organization
that transmits items to the diplomatic pouch and mail service; also called
originator or mailer.
United States Postal Service (USPS):
An independent establishment of the executive branch of the U.S. Government,
with a mandate to provide reliable, affordable universal mail service.
Unaccompanied pouches:
Unclassified pouches that travel from origin to destination unescorted.
Unclassified controlled air pouch
(UCAP): Controlled air pouches that contain Sensitive But Unclassified
(SBU) material, and might disclose the nature of a classified project if the
contents were known. For procedures in handling UCAP pouches (see 14 FAH-4 H-223,
paragraph b).
14 FAM 716 categories of posts for
pouch and mail purposes
(CT:LOG-223; 05-03-2017)
There are five categories of posts for pouch and mail
purposes, those serviced by the Military Postal Service, diplomatic pouch,
diplomatic post office, international mail, and USPS domestic ZIP codes. For
detailed descriptions of each category and a list of posts by category (see 14 FAH-4 H-113):
(1) Category A posts have full access to the Military
Postal Service (MPS);
(2) Category B posts do not have access to MPS
facilities, diplomatic post office (DPO) facilities, or to the USPS. These
pouch-only posts have full access to the diplomatic pouch system for all items,
official and personal;
(3) Category C posts have full access to the
diplomatic post office (DPO);
(4) Category D posts should send and receive all
personal mail by international mail and all official mail by pouch; and
(5) Category E posts should send and receive mail via
U.S. ZIP codes, either directly or through border city support.
14 FAM 717 mailRooms
(CT:LOG-188; 03-30-2015)
a. Classified and unclassified mailrooms at posts
abroad must meet the Departments safety and health standards which are
referenced in 15 FAM 900, Safety, Health and Environmental Management Abroad
and promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under 29 CFR 1910 and 29 CFR 1926.
The Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental Management (OBO/OPS/SHEM) per 1 FAM 286.6,
is responsible for the Departments overall safety, health, environmental, and
environmental health programs to assist posts abroad in meeting Department
requirements and assist Department headquarters organizations in integrating
appropriate safety, health, environmental, and environmental health
requirements into their operations abroad.
b. The Domestic Environmental Safety Division
(A/OPR/FMS/DESD) is responsible for the Department's domestic safety, health,
environmental, and environmental health programs and will assist domestic
mailrooms in integrating appropriate safety, health, environmental, and environmental
health requirements into mailroom operations.
c. Every Department mail room must have a written mail
security plan that is reviewed and exercised annually by the bureau or post
official mail manager. See the GSA Mail Center Security Guide for a description
of the critical elements of a mail center security plan.
d. The purpose of mail screening is to protect
Department facilities and personnel. Therefore, all Department overseas and
domestic facilities must conduct a risk assessment of their incoming mail
streams and develop mail screening procedures. (See 14 FAH-4 H-120
for guidance on mail screening facilities at posts abroad, mail room physical
facilities, security and safety.) (See 14 FAH-4 H-331
for mail screening procedures.)
14 FAM 718 AND 719 UNASSIGNED