May is Military Appreciation Month

Military Appreciation Month, declared a national observance by Congress in 1999, is marked annually in May.

The U.S. Postal Service, one of the largest civilian employers of veterans, counts former service members and current Guard and Reserve members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force as part of its ranks. USPS employs more than 100,000 veterans.

The Military Postal Service Agency, an extension of USPS, provides postal services to military personnel and their families in more than 100 countries around the world.

The military has often played an important role in postal operations, including the early 20th century Army pilots who were the first U.S. airmail carriers, the U.S. Marines who guarded the mail in the 1920s, and the everyday contributions of veteran employees.