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United States Postal Inspectors
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We've been around since colonial  days when Benjamin Franklin
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appointed William Goddard as the first Surveyor,
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or Postal Inspector.
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Goddard's job was to keep  the mail and revenue secure.
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Over the years, titles and badges have changed,
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but one thing hasn't,
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our mission to protect America's mail  and to investigate postal crimes.
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Postal Inspectors played key  roles in setting up mail service
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for Union soldiers during the Civil War,
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for the thousands who fled to California
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and the Alaska Territory during the gold rush.
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And during World War II,
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Inspectors created the military mail system.
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Whether tracking down mail thieves who  attacked stagecoaches or mail trains,
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to Blackhand gangsters and Charles Ponzi,
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the father of the illegal pyramid scheme,
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Postal Inspectors were there  to meet the challenges.
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The security force,
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our uniformed branch,
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was formed.
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We became one of the first to  hire female federal agents.
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We investigated insider traders on Wall Street,
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fraudulent global art dealers,
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and crooked televangelists.
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We played a key role in terrorism investigations,
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including the Unabomber.
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After the terrorist attacks of 9/11,
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deadly anthrax attacks came in the mail.
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When disasters occur,
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Postal Inspectors respond to  restore vital mail service.
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Drugs in the mail,
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dangerous mail,
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cyber crime,
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all new frontiers to deal with.
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But protecting postal employees and the mail
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remains our top priority.
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There's a lot for us to be  proud of in our history.
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There's even more for us to look forward to.
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And there's one thing you can be sure of -
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we will continue to ensure  America's confidence in the mail.