RICHMOND, Va. –
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 we meet John Yeban.
My name is John Yeban, and this is “My DCMA.”
I am an industrial specialist at DCMA Hampton based in Richmond, Virginia. I am also a first-year Keystone employee.
My job duties include the Mechanization of Contract Administration Services, also known as MOCAS, review and receipt; serving as the main point of contact for the buying commands who request the status of their contracts; and providing the surveillance activities of contractors’ business processes.
I have been a part of the DCMA team since July 2018.
It is exciting to be an industrial specialist at DCMA because I get to interact with quality assurance specialists, contracting officers, Keystone leadership, defense contractors, and buying commands. I enjoy going to work because I am able to learn from so many individuals in the different functional areas.
I like working at DCMA because the Keystone program is a great learning experience. Right now, I have completed all of my required functional training courses. I also like the agency because of the mentoring program. During my first few weeks at DCMA, I joined a mentorship program. It was an ice breaker to become familiar with my job responsibilities and to be informed of the career opportunities available.
I am grateful for the support that I have received from my teammates and leadership who are readily available to assist me from across the agency. It is shocking, yet amazing, how teamwork still takes place even at a far distance from one another.
DCMA is important to America’s warfighters because we are the eyes and ears for the Department of Defense. It is this pride that motivates me to gain more experience in the defense acquisition area. We all know our overall efforts help our armed forces to serve and protect our country.
My favorite hobbies include hiking with my hound dog throughout Virginia’s parks, riding my motorcycle, and taking road trips to different states.
My future career goals include in the short term, becoming a subject matter expert as an industrial specialist through my training and experience. The reason why this is my goal is because I want to build a foundation of a skill set that I can use to meet the DCMA mission.
My long-term goals include being a well-rounded knowledgeable supervisor in acquisition. No matter where you work at DCMA, all of us can face complex issues and sometimes there are no obvious solutions. By having a broad skill set, I am confident it will help in my decision making when faced with a challenging issue.
Something unique about me is that I left the island of Guam to enlist with the Navy as an aviation boatswain mate, which is an individual who directs the movement of aircraft on the hangar bay or on the flight deck. Toward the end of my enlistment, I wanted to change my career to the logistics field. But because I was in a position that was considered undermanned, changing my career was not allowed, so I decided to wrap up my enlistment and pursue my educational goals.
After graduating from college, I became a federal contractor. As a naval propeller technician, I identified deficiencies that did not meet the required set tolerances and I conducted the necessary repairs based on the Navy’s request.
Some of the great things about working for the agency includes having my own cubicle, tablet, and an iPhone to do my job. When I first started last year, I felt spoiled. I used to work in an open facility in my previous job so coming to DCMA was a game changer.