SPOTLIGHT: MRS. AUNDAIR KINNEY INSIGHTS FROM A FIRST-TIME CIVILIAN DEPLOYER A deputy PARC breaks down what you should know once you’ve decided to go.
A highlight as a member of the Army Acquisition Work- force is the enormous variety of experiences you can have over the trajectory of your professional career. As you look for opportunities to develop your skills, consider an overseas deployment. You’ll provide a tremendous service to your country and will have an opportunity to work on unique and challenging requirements. You will learn about new regulations and missions, use different databases and systems, and interact with joint commands. The experience will stretch you, shape you and make you a better Army professional.
However, overseas deployment isn’t something to enter into lightly. Before you decide to deploy, there’s a lot to consider. Here’s my perspective, as someone who’s in the middle of a deployment to Afghanistan with the Expedi- tionary Contracting Command—Afghanistan.
The decision to deploy should be made at least six to 12 months before you want to actually go. What are some of the things you should consider before deploying? The first is, how will my deployment affect my family? When you are thousands of miles away from home for six months or more, you don’t want to worry about the well-being of your family. Take time to discuss with them the length of the deployment, the country that you are considering deploying to and the realities of how day-to-day home life activities will change for them and you while you are away. You won’t be able to take care of most of your responsibilities at home; someone else in your family will have to take over, or you’ll have to hire someone to handle those tasks. You may miss school activities and significant events in the lives of your children and spouse.
Next, consider the mission and whether it interests you. Will you bring a skill set to advance the mission? Would the requirements of the mission strengthen your learning and growth? Nothing is worse than spending many hours at work and days away from home when you are not enjoying the job. To make sure you and the mission are a good fit, reach out to people who are already deployed. Also, keep in mind that the government establishes where you can deploy, and there are a number of locations that are available. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to go to a particular location.
My deployment was originally slated for Qatar. But after learning more about the opportunity in Afghanistan,
which included a new contingency contracting administra- tion services mission and the chance to develop addition- al skills, I switched my deployment after consulting with my senior leaders. You and your family are not the only ones with a big stake in your deployment. Talk to your supervisor about your interest and gain his or her support before volunteering. You’re an important asset, and your supervisor will have to shift your workload to someone else while you are deployed.
Finally, make sure you understand the different avenues to deployment. Through my experience, I learned that there are several deployment programs that I wasn’t previously aware of, including the U.S. Army Contracting Com- mand’s Deployable Cadre Program, the DOD Civilian Expeditionary Workforce Program. Civilians can also learn about deployment opportunities through USAJobs announcements. Research deployment requirements and entitlements, because they vary based on which program you deploy with, where you go and for how long.
READY, SET, WAIT You’ve made the decision, you are ready to deploy, and you have the full support of your family and your employ- er. You have received word that you’ve been selected for a deployed position. Now what?
Well, don’t expect things to happen quickly. You will need to be medically cleared at your home station and to com- plete online deployment training on 16 different subjects. Then, you will be given a tentative date by the human resources adviser to proceed to the CONUS Replacement Center (CRC), at Fort Bliss, Texas, and process for deploy- ment, which is also contingent upon country clearance requirements, including having an official passport.
During processing at CRC, you will receive final medical clearance and vaccinations, along with personal protec- tive equipment (PPE) and uniforms. You’ll also complete additional on-site training in first aid, use of PPE and SHARP, the Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention program.
As soon as you have confirmed your deployment location and departure date, talk to someone who has recently deployed to the area where you are going. Soon after your location is designated, you should receive the name of a local sponsor. Reach out to your sponsor. He or she
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Army AL&T Magazine April-June 2016
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