FORT LEE, Va. –
The Defense Contract Management Agency’s Combat Support Center hosted its first pre-deployment orientation, also known as PDO, for deploying personnel here, Jan. 28-30.
Ryan Kivett, CSC director, thanked employees for their “commitment and dedicated service to the agency’s deploying program.”
The three-day event covered a variety of material to make sure DCMA team members are prepared to work in various environments. Approximately 30 employees attended the event who were preparing for deployments to Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.
“The orientation was to help prepare personnel for deployment to support combatant commanders and serve alongside soldiers in an austere environment or a combat zone,” said Diann Hawks, CSC’s Force Management Team chief.
The orientation was established to make sure deployable employees are familiar with the risks of their assignments and understand administrative procedures, such as how to complete their time cards. The event also helped employees understand personnel actions such as pay entitlements and procedures, worker’s compensation, medical treatment, life insurance, death benefits and health insurance.
Timothy Roseberry, CSC deployment planner, said, “Employees must be flexible and adaptable. Personnel need to be tolerant of pre-deployment processes and the downrange environment because both are fluid and can change often.”
Other topics covered during the event included how to complete performance appraisals while deployed and family support options. In addition, the CSC group provided an overview of the Contingency Response Force program, the mission of the CONUS (continental United States) Replacement Center, and opportunities with joint training exercises and the CRF program. DCMA’s medical readiness team addressed employees’ medical concerns.
“We are focused on providing the best deployment management for personnel,” said Hawks. “This orientation helps them by focusing on the mission, knowing that we are prepared to facilitate any training and administrative functions needed.”
A highlight of the orientation was an open-discussion forum from previous deployed employees who shared their lessons learned.
“The returning employees discussed the importance of being adaptable, being mentally ready, having a positive attitude, and embracing the austere deployed conditions as the keys to mission success,” said Hawks.
DCMA provides augmented support to various commands in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The CRF program is the agency’s third generation emergency essential program and supports the recruitment, development, and deployment of individuals supporting DCMA’s combat support agency role as a force provider to the combatant commands.
The CSC plans to conduct these events quarterly. The next orientation is scheduled for May. For more information, contact Karen Moon at karen.w.moon.civ@mail.mil or 804-416-9273.