diff --git a/services/post-service/go.mod b/services/post-service/go.mod
index 90d6f73..a5aba04 100644
--- a/services/post-service/go.mod
+++ b/services/post-service/go.mod
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/cs6650/proto v0.0.0-00010101000000-000000000000
 	github.com/gin-gonic/gin v1.11.0
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.76.0
-	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.36.10
 )
 
 replace github.com/cs6650/proto => ../../proto
@@ -61,4 +60,5 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/text v0.27.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/tools v0.34.0 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/rpc v0.0.0-20250804133106-a7a43d27e69b // indirect
+	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.36.10 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/services/post-service/internal/repository/post_repository.go b/services/post-service/internal/repository/post_repository.go
index f68c51a..5d19b0b 100644
--- a/services/post-service/internal/repository/post_repository.go
+++ b/services/post-service/internal/repository/post_repository.go
@@ -27,17 +27,32 @@ func NewPostRepository(client *dynamodb.Client, tableName string) *PostRepositor
 
 // Create a new post and save to dynamodb 
 func(r *PostRepository) CreatePost(ctx context.Context, post *pb.Post) error {
-	item, err := attributevalue.MarshalMap(post)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal post: %w", err)
+	// Manually create DynamoDB item with correct field names (post_id, user_id, etc.)
+	item := map[string]types.AttributeValue{
+		"post_id": &types.AttributeValueMemberS{
+			Value: fmt.Sprintf("%d", post.PostId),
+		},
+		"user_id": &types.AttributeValueMemberN{
+			Value: fmt.Sprintf("%d", post.UserId),
+		},
+		"content": &types.AttributeValueMemberS{
+			Value: post.Content,
+		},
+		"timestamp": &types.AttributeValueMemberN{
+			Value: fmt.Sprintf("%d", post.Timestamp),
+		},
 	}
-
-	_, err = r.client.PutItem(ctx, &dynamodb.PutItemInput{
+	
+	_, err := r.client.PutItem(ctx, &dynamodb.PutItemInput{
 		TableName: aws.String(r.tableName),
-		Item: item,
+		Item:      item,
 	})
 
-	return err
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create post: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Retrieves a single post by PostID
@@ -45,7 +60,7 @@ func(r *PostRepository)GetPost(ctx context.Context, postID int64)(*pb.Post, erro
 	result, err := r.client.GetItem(ctx, &dynamodb.GetItemInput{
 		TableName: aws.String(r.tableName),
 		Key: map[string]types.AttributeValue{
-			"post_id": &types.AttributeValueMemberN{
+			"post_id": &types.AttributeValueMemberS{
 				Value: fmt.Sprintf("%d", postID),
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/services/post-service/terraform/main.tf b/services/post-service/terraform/main.tf
index 9514b3d..065fd25 100644
--- a/services/post-service/terraform/main.tf
+++ b/services/post-service/terraform/main.tf
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ locals {
 # Configure DynamoDB tables
 module "dynamodb" {
   source = "./modules/dynamodb"
+  
+  table_name  = var.dynamo_table
+  environment = var.environment
 }
 
 # Service-specific security group for ECS tasks
@@ -134,6 +137,7 @@ module "ecs" {
   subnet_ids         = var.public_subnet_ids
   security_group_ids = [aws_security_group.app.id]
   execution_role_arn = var.execution_role_arn
+  task_role_arn      = var.task_role_arn  # Task role for DynamoDB/SNS access
   log_group_name     = module.logging.log_group_name
   target_group_arn   = aws_lb_target_group.service.arn
   ecs_count          = var.ecs_count
@@ -152,7 +156,7 @@ module "ecs" {
     },
     {
       name  = "DYNAMO_TABLE"
-      value = var.dynamo_table
+      value = module.dynamodb.table_name
     },
     {
       name  = "POST_STRATEGY"
diff --git a/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/main.tf b/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/main.tf
index cf3d14e..f6bdaab 100644
--- a/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/main.tf
+++ b/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/main.tf
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ resource "aws_ecs_task_definition" "app" {
   cpu                      = var.cpu
   memory                   = var.memory
   execution_role_arn       = var.execution_role_arn
+  task_role_arn            = var.task_role_arn != "" ? var.task_role_arn : var.execution_role_arn  # Use task_role if provided
 
   # Specify CPU architecture for Fargate
   runtime_platform {
diff --git a/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/variables.tf b/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/variables.tf
index dc66b31..7b91b67 100644
--- a/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/variables.tf
+++ b/services/post-service/terraform/modules/ecs/variables.tf
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ variable "execution_role_arn" {
   description = "ECS Task Execution Role ARN (Innovation Sandbox with ISBStudent=true tag)"
 }
 
+variable "task_role_arn" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "ECS Task Role ARN for application permissions (DynamoDB, SNS)"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
 variable "log_group_name" {
   type        = string
   description = "CloudWatch log group name"
diff --git a/services/post-service/terraform/variables.tf b/services/post-service/terraform/variables.tf
index 5904d7d..27e114d 100644
--- a/services/post-service/terraform/variables.tf
+++ b/services/post-service/terraform/variables.tf
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ variable "execution_role_arn" {
   type        = string
 }
 
+variable "task_role_arn" {
+  description = "ARN of the ECS task role for application permissions"
+  type        = string
+  default     = ""
+}
+
 # ALB settings
 variable "alb_priority" {
   description = "Priority for ALB listener rule"
diff --git a/terraform/main.tf b/terraform/main.tf
index af3fbd5..b1e31e7 100644
--- a/terraform/main.tf
+++ b/terraform/main.tf
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ module "post_service" {
   
   # IAM role for ECS tasks
   execution_role_arn = module.iam.ecs_task_execution_role_arn
+  task_role_arn      = module.iam.post_service_task_role_arn
   
   # Pass through necessary variables
   aws_region           = var.aws_region
diff --git a/terraform/modules/iam/main.tf b/terraform/modules/iam/main.tf
index 9c2a365..976305b 100644
--- a/terraform/modules/iam/main.tf
+++ b/terraform/modules/iam/main.tf
@@ -28,6 +28,41 @@ resource "aws_iam_role_policy_attachment" "ecs_task_execution_role_policy" {
   policy_arn = "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/service-role/AmazonECSTaskExecutionRolePolicy"
 }
 
+# Post Service Task Role (for DynamoDB and SNS access)
+resource "aws_iam_role" "post_service_task_role" {
+  name = "${var.project_name}-${var.environment}-post-task-role"
+
+  assume_role_policy = jsonencode({
+    Version = "2012-10-17"
+    Statement = [
+      {
+        Action = "sts:AssumeRole"
+        Effect = "Allow"
+        Principal = {
+          Service = "ecs-tasks.amazonaws.com"
+        }
+      }
+    ]
+  })
+
+  tags = {
+    Name        = "${var.project_name}-${var.environment}-post-task-role"
+    Environment = var.environment
+    ISBStudent  = "true"  # Required for Innovation Sandbox IAM role creation
+  }
+}
+
+# Attach AWS managed policies for DynamoDB and SNS
+resource "aws_iam_role_policy_attachment" "post_dynamodb" {
+  role       = aws_iam_role.post_service_task_role.name
+  policy_arn = "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AmazonDynamoDBFullAccess"
+}
+
+resource "aws_iam_role_policy_attachment" "post_sns" {
+  role       = aws_iam_role.post_service_task_role.name
+  policy_arn = "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AmazonSNSFullAccess"
+}
+
 # Timeline Service Task Role (for DynamoDB and SQS access)
 resource "aws_iam_role" "timeline_service_task_role" {
   name = "${var.project_name}-${var.environment}-timeline-task-role"
@@ -52,7 +87,6 @@ resource "aws_iam_role" "timeline_service_task_role" {
   }
 }
 
-# Attach AWS managed policies for DynamoDB and SQS
 resource "aws_iam_role_policy_attachment" "timeline_dynamodb" {
   role       = aws_iam_role.timeline_service_task_role.name
   policy_arn = "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AmazonDynamoDBFullAccess"
diff --git a/terraform/modules/iam/outputs.tf b/terraform/modules/iam/outputs.tf
index f466fff..54faaed 100644
--- a/terraform/modules/iam/outputs.tf
+++ b/terraform/modules/iam/outputs.tf
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ output "ecs_task_execution_role_arn" {
   value       = aws_iam_role.ecs_task_execution_role.arn
 }
 
+output "post_service_task_role_arn" {
+  description = "ARN of the post service task role"
+  value       = aws_iam_role.post_service_task_role.arn
+}
+
 output "timeline_service_task_role_arn" {
   description = "ARN of the timeline service task role"
   value       = aws_iam_role.timeline_service_task_role.arn
diff --git a/terraform/variables.tf b/terraform/variables.tf
index 7004c9c..86f09ad 100644
--- a/terraform/variables.tf
+++ b/terraform/variables.tf
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ variable "post_service_ecs_count" {
 variable "post_service_post_strategy" {
   description = "Post strategy: push, pull, or hybrid"
   type        = string
-  default     = "hybrid"
+  default     = "pull"
 }