COL Haselden and the Garrison Staff - Essay Example

COL Haselden welcomed the Garrison Staff. COL Haselden announced that the Easter Sunrise Service was a success and that he had received a lot of compliments leading up to the day of the service. COL Haselden reported that there have been a lot of improvements around the Garrison over the past two years. According to him, this is because everyone has been contributing to the mission supporting the Garrison and the Warriors. In addition, he mentioned the Family Fun Festival that took place last Saturday at the Rose Garden, and thanked the Garrison staff for a job well done. Next, COL Haselden talked about the Garrison Leadership off site Conference that was held in Washington, DC on March 26 and 27, 2009. It was a very productive off site conference, which had around 60 employees who participated. During the conference, a professional Strategic Planner assisted our leaders in identifying the current critical issues and the actions that needed to improve. COL Haselden also talked about the mission statement that was slightly modified to include a safe and secure environment on the installation. He discussed the good and successful work accomplished over the past couple of years. Every Directorate and office had been successful in meeting their mission. However, the infrastructure on the installation is the most visible proof of our hard work, according to him. COL Haselden indicated that some issues in the focus area were customer service, Processional Development, Team Work, and Public Relation He talked about obtaining business cards of customer service representatives because he is a staunch advocate of good customer service. According to COL Hasleden, team work is very important. COL Hasleden was very impressed by the amount of team work that we exhibited at the Offsite and throughout the Garrison. COL Haselden also talked about the hundred million dollars that was being invested in the buildings around the installation. Life Safety Improvements Fire Alarms upgrades Lightening Protection Exit and emergency light installation Customer Focus Warrior Care Walkways and Ramps COL reminded everyone to please keep vehicles off the sidewalks. He requested that if someone sees one on the side, please ask them to remove their car. ADA Compliance Handrails Doors Bathrooms New Court Yard/Playground Kitchen and Restrooms Upgrades TEAM WRAMC Elevators Water Sealing Floors Restrooms Roofs Ceilings Parking Lots Structure Windows Hot Water and heat exchangers Mechanical Rooms and Equipment Miss Weatherington gave a quote from Government executive’s services magazine “Agencies must place a high priority on developing a strong, skills-based workforce” Ms. Weatherington reported that the Civilian Development army is relying more heavily on its Civilian workforce to generate force and sustain our commitments. We are in competition for talented civilians with other government agencies and the private industry. Furthermore, she stated that we need to sustain the Civilian Corps contribution and the future depends upon the investment we make today. Ms. Moorash stated that the established assessment recognized by the industry is a solid predictor of occupational interests of the employees. It is beneficial to those starting to explore their education and career interests, but it is likewise used for confirmation that individuals are in the most appropriate career field. Some series of assessments are used to identify occupational interests, working and learning styles and personalities. The Education Services provides access to two career assessments: The strong interest inventory and the Kuder Career Planning System. Both assessments are self-paced and completed online from any computer with Internet access. Kuder Career Planning System helps adults engage in education and career planning process by supporting lifelong learning and career development. Army eLearning provides over 200 free computers based courses for Amy Soldiers and Civilians. This course covers a broad range of topics including, information technology, business skills, and foreign languages. Mr. Quattlebaum went over the twelve different services that will be provided by his Employment and Transition Program. Ms. Phillips stated that the DC Department of Employment Services is part of a national system that combines local employment and training services to all segments of the Washington, DC metropolitan population. Their mission is to foster and promote the welfare of job seekers and wage earners. Ms. Phillips informed everyone that the first step will be to fill out your training survey which is in your packet, bring it to one of our counsellors at the Education Center and decide on what kind of training you are interested in taking. We will proceed from there and we will walk you through the necessary steps, according to her. This will depend on the individual training you are requesting. Ms. Phillips explained that the National Emergency Grant is available to military spouses, Department of Defense Contractors and Federal Civilian employees. This Grant provides up to $8,000 for each employee to receive training along with outreach and transition assistance to help employees transition into another position when Walter Reed Army Medical Center closes in September 2011. Mr. Dortch stated that he is the President of The Diversa Group and that his staff will provide Federal Career Counselling and Employment Advising to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) which has an impact on employee’s workers in the Transitional One Stop Center. Services will include federal job search strategies and concerns associated with the federal job process or military transitions. Q: Where do we stand on giving Retention Incentives? A: COL Haselden stated the Garrison is working on the process which is ongoing. MG Hawley-Bowland has agreed to the Garrison proposal and is currently looking for money from MEDCOM. Q. Are there any other agencies that have other printer ship programs with outside businesses? A: Ms. Phillips stated that we have our own internal printer ship programs with DOS services, but we do not have it with any outside business at this time. Q: Are we in notations with the state department and GSA on jobs for the employees here at Walter Reed. A. Mr. Trieber stated that we do not notate and federal jobs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center... Q: Are the services for temporary to permanent positions? A: Yes, the services are for each and every employee and will be affected by BRAC. Q: How do we get access to the letter? A: Mr. Treiber informed that they will post the letter and send it out to the Garrison Staff by e-mail. Copies will also be available in the transition center. Read More