CARSON, Calif. –
My DCMA showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency’s experienced and diverse workforce and highlights what being a part of the national defense team means to them. Today, Ty Souza shares her story.
My name is Ty Souza, and this is “My DCMA.”
I am a military personnel liaison officer, also known as an LNO, assigned to the DCMA headquarters’ Military Personnel Division in the Total Force Directorate. I am the LNO for the Western Regional Command here. Although I work for Judy Miles, the director of military personnel at Fort Lee, Virginia, I have always been located on the West Coast with the Western Regional Command staff.
I have been a part of the DCMA team for almost 20 years. My job duties include being the principal military personnel advisor to the Western Region commander and his contract management office leadership.
I provide the military personnel management support for all active duty and reserve personnel assigned to the regional command. I support military personnel with their assignments, transfers, promotions, evaluations, awards, fitness tests, separations, retirements and reenlistments. I also assists with their Defense Acquisition University training requests and provide guidance related to certain policies and procedures that are specific to each service branch.
I like working at DCMA because it provides me with the opportunity to work with some of the finest military officers and senior non-commissioned officers who serve on active duty and in the reserves. I also enjoy working with their commanders, directors and civilians. I believe that the regional command’s military personnel managers and executive officers, who are located at the various CMOs, are dedicated to taking care of our service members.
DCMA is important to America’s warfighters because DCMA is 24/7, non-stop, behind-the-scenes, working smartly, to provide the best products, people, systems, and weapons, to carry out various military missions.
The agency plays a vital role in preserving peace for the United States and our allies. As I continue to be a part of the DCMA team, I am excited to see how we will grow by developing our employees — both civilian and military — because their emotional intelligence, self-value, education, and experiences determine the agency’s future.
A lot has changed since I started working at DCMA. Twenty years ago, my youngest son and I were in the middle of moving from Colorado to California. We arrived in Carson on Sept. 29, 2001. DCMA welcomed us with open arms, and we’ve been here ever since.
One thing that never changes is change itself. I attended leadership training shortly after retiring from the Air Force, and I remember meeting the DCMA employees who had already been with the agency for many years. They commented that before the dust could settle, change would be around the corner. I say this with a smile because this still rings true to this day. Organizations within DCMA have changed names, ownership, programs, places, and people several times since I arrived in 2001 and will continue to change because change is constant.
My future career goals include continuing to do what I love, which is supporting our commanders, directors, and military personnel on active duty and reserve. My goal for this year is to continue to be a part of a team that aims to be the best at what we do. I know that the Total Force Directorate is committed to taking care of our civilian and military personnel.
As part of the Military Personnel Division, I care deeply and passionately about supporting our warfighters. We are committed to providing the best possible military personnel support to our customers, especially the warfighters, who are in our care while assigned to DCMA. We are accountable, responsible, and knowledgeable. Many in the division were once warfighters ourselves, so now as federal employees, we continue our devotion to our customers.
My favorite hobbies include spending time with my family and friends, singing, traveling, reading, and learning new things. Something unique about me is that several of my family members served in the Marine Corps. My dad and youngest brother retired from the Marine Corps. My mother and stepmother also served in the Marine Corps. But my twin brother served in the Army, and I served and retired after 21 years from the Air Force.