United States Army Military Solider and the Department of the Army Civilian Employee Development Comparison
Abstract
The harmonizing relationship and shared respect between the military and civilian members of the Army is a long standing tradition. Since the Army¡¦s beginning in 1775, the United States military and Department of the Army (DA) Civilian duties were separate, but are necessarily related because of the Army¡¦s mission. The Army work environment involves a close working relationship with civilian personnel, because they possess or develop technical skills that are necessary to accomplish some missions needed by the Army. DA civilians are primarily tied to the particular military installation that they are employed under the civilian personnel management system. All Army leaders, soldiers, and DA Civilians share the same goal: to accomplish their organization¡¦s mission, but training and development missions are substantial different between the Army, military and civilian personnel.
United States Army Military Solider and the Department of the Army Civilian Employee Development Comparison
Soldier and DA Civilian development is essential to the Army¡¦s success in peacetime as well as in combat. DA Civilians are essential to success but, for variety of reasons that are difficult to maintain in the uniformed components. (FM 22-100, 1990, App. A).
The effective training and development of DA civilians is the keystone of operational success and must be given a high priority on a continuous basis to perform effectively, especially within the context of the Army¡¦s Doctrine. Most support type activities (base operations) are preformed by DA Civilians that allows support continuity of operations. DA Civilians are able to provide professional or technical capabilities and skills not otherwise available when soldiers deploy.
Career counselors fill extremely demanding positions requiring an unusual amount of effort to accomplish their mission. The Table of Distribution (TDA) only allows one career counselor position, in every Battalion. The amount of personnel fluctuates between 300-800 Soldiers. As identified above MOS 79S, is currently experiencing a shortage causing an additional workload within a small team of NCOs adding additional stress to an already demanding position. The unique skill set a career counselor possesses are different from any other MOS. Career counselors utilize an automated system called RETAIN. Once a career counselor successfully graduates from the basic career counselor course, they receive access to RETAIN. HQDA and HRC both monitor this system. Only those authorized personnel career counselors have access to this automated system. While a unit can assign an additional duty reenlistment, Noncommissioned officer (NCO) to fill the position they will not have access to
The United States Army has been a leader in military prowess on the world stage since its inception in 1775, and with such a record, it is reasonably assumed that there must be solid foundation within the organization working to maintain the high level of performance. The Noncommissioned Officer Corps is one institution within the Army that serves as a large portion of this foundation that makes it the fighting force that it has always been, and the noncommissioned officers have been an integral piece since the very inception of the Army. The Prussian General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, organizer of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, encapsulated this idea when he coined the noncommissioned officer (NCO) as the backbone of the Army. (Arms, 1991) In an Army that is continuously adjusting to world around it while maintaining its status as the military leader to all other nations, the Noncommissioned Officer Corps has always provided the platform for continuity through a growing rank system based on its original core, an evolving training program to develop effective leaders, and a creed that moves us forward while remembering the rich history of the corps that came before us.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief analysis of the United States Army’s organizational structure and its culture and how these two elements impact its workers, associates and affiliates. This paper will first examine the Army’s history, development and structure to highlight the origins of the Army’s culture. Secondly, a brief history of the Army’s organizational development will be followed by a close examination of its philosophy and supporting beliefs. Lastly, this paper will discuss the role of the Army’s leadership, their response to critical issues and the organizational structure of the Army. An analysis of the army’s top leaders will help the reader to understand the Army culture more thoroughly in the context of the Army’s organizational structure. More specifically this section of the paper will examine the Army leadership’s response to the current geo-political environment and other related issues. In conclusion, this paper hopes to highlight the Army’s overall functioning from an organizational standpoint and emphasize that idea that the Army is like a functional corporation. This will be accomplished by addressing various key questions throughout this text.
Being a military veteran can have both positive and negative effects on one’s ability to maintain a job and socialize with other people. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is usually a problem with soldiers coming back from war, although after a veteran recovers from it, it creates great job opportunities. Business leaders recognize how useful a military veteran is in the work force. Veterans tend to show great responsibility, leadership, and team work which make them the ideal employee for many jobs.
Simon, C. J., Negrusa, S., & Warner, J. T. (2009, October). Educational Benefits and Military Service: An Analysis of Enlistment, Reenlistment, and Veterans' Benefit Usage 1991-2005 (ISSN 0095-2583). Western Economic Association International.
One aspect of the advancement process that should be changed is the evaluation program. Navy evaluations are based on several characteristics such as job performance, collateral duties, college courses taken, plus several other items. I want to focus on one specific aspect of this process, the collateral duties. These duties are secondary duties that an individual would volunteer for or would be told to do. The collateral duties can range from being a divisional mail clerk to the command ESWS coordinator. For a lot of people, these duties usually interfere with a person’s primary job, which results in work being handed down to a less fortunate individual. Sometimes these jobs require a person to dedicate up to fifty percent of their day to complete these tasks. Furthermore the process of fulfilling these duties can adversely affect a person’s ability to dedicate time and energy to learn and perfect their primary job. Some people receive better evaluations because they have more collateral duties than another sailor. Does having more of something mean they are better prepared to be a leader? This is one bullet on the evaluation form that needs to be part of the process change.
We can identify three major cultural dimensions that help us to understand what leaders must focus on as they guide the transition of the Army. First, professional Identity, which is guided by Soldiers at all levels who are striving for excellence in their functional specialty, i.e., HR Sergeants. Soldiers who have goals and ideals of the Army to ethically put service and duty first. HR Sergeants are trained and well educated in their field. They are taught to put Soldiers first and have great customer support skills. Second, community, the sense in which Soldiers stop thinking about “I” and start thinking “we”. The bond among units who not only believe in cohesion with Soldiers, but their families too. The HR Sergeants are there to take care of Soldiers when financial issues arise with them or their families and don’t back down until the situation is solved. Last, hierarchy, which leads to order and control and provides Soldiers with moral reference and a sense of direction. The HR Sergeant has the mentality of mission first, knowing who to contact at the next level for assistance helps get the mission
There is an every growing need for college graduates that need government benefits. There are a surplus of able body men and woman looking for a career or a chance to better their life’s using the benefits provide by the Mandatory Military Services Act as a catalyst to improve the standard of living for each citizen. By having experience that will transience to the job market, with the job market being flooded with highly train workers with military background the overall productivity will greatly improve. (Ruschmann
Many times veterans returning from active duty are unaware of the fact that their military training may sell them short in the civilian side of the job market. While there are many positive aspects of hiring a veteran, many times career skills for civilian jobs need to be developed. Career Services can create sessions to successfully integrate the military back into civilian jobs.
Webster’s dictionary defines the word profession as a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. Many Soldiers would not consider the Army as a profession but a way of life. Some think the word profession belongs to everyday jobs like a plumber, mechanic, or doctor. Dr. Don M. Snider stated “the Army is a profession because of the expert work it produces, because the people in the Army develop themselves to be professionals, and because the Army certifies them as such” (Snider, D. M. 2008). In October 2010, the Secretary of the Army directed the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to lead an Army wide assessment of the state of the Army Profession. We have been at war as a Country for over a decade and the Army wanted to know how to shape the future of the Army as a profession and the effects the past decade had on our profession.
This is significant, because generally, the enlisted are considered skilled trade, while officers are professionals (Military.com & Henry, n.d.). In a September, 1943 memorandum, Elizabeth H. Ross, secretary of the War Service Office, stated that enlisted men in the ranks of private or noncommissioned officer in the Army could apply to be a psychiatric social worker. Army commissioned officers could not apply to be psychiatric social workers (Daley, 2009), which means that the military did not recognize psychiatric social workers as professionals.
This year, the United States is set to end over a decade of continuous combat operations in Afghanistan as well as reduce the size of the military in an effort to restrain the growing deficit of the federal government. While some welcome these actions, they will have a significant effect on the men and women of the armed forces. Since the military is now focused on returning to a peacetime posture and cutting personnel, more veterans will be entering the civilian market. These men and women, who come from all walks of American life, will have had vastly different experiences than their civilian counterparts. These veterans will have spent their formative years in a wartime military and while they have so much to offer society, often, their service and they as individuals are stereotyped with unflattering characteristics by civilian managers, which has a negative impact during their post-military search for employment. Some civilians see them as uneducated and suffering from a host of mental problems related to their service. This problem is not only relevant for recent veterans but for all of those who have volunteered to serve in the military. Veteran unemployment is a serious problem for the United States. Those who choose to serve in the military should not be negatively impacted in the civilian marketplace as a result of their sacrifice.
Readiness is of the utmost importance with training being the most significant aspect that contributes to Readiness. Each Soldier needs an individual training plan. The plan should take the Soldier from enlistment to discharge or retirement. It is each Soldiers responsibility to be proficient in their field craft. This includes being fit mentally and physically, and trained to win in a complex world. It is the responsibility of the NCO to train these Soldiers. Unit training plans will address the readiness and resilience of individual Soldiers to ensure their fitness to accomplish their mission. Units must conduct realistic training at the individual, squad, platoon and company levels focused on Mission Essential Tasks (METs) for their
“A vision without action is merely a dream.” (Kevin Gates) The Army Profession Model is a great vision but if we do not fixed the basics in our upbringing of Soldiers then it will only be a dream. Imagine a panoramic view of an early morning sunrise over a military base. The sun is starting to burn off the morning dew. Formations of soldiers are starting to pop into the picture. Each soldier is in uniform dress sharp and moving as a single unit. Some formations are double timing moving out. Everyone has a purpose and stepping off to get to his or her next obstacle of the day. All Non-commissioned officers are enforcing nothing less than exceeded standards. Soldiers are toe to line in formations for inspection. Senior Non-commissioned