FORT LEE, Va. –
My DCMA showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency’s experienced and dedicated workforce and highlights what being part of the national defense team means to them. Today, Air Force Capt. Amy Schmidt shares her story.
My name is Capt. Amy Schmidt, and this is “My DCMA.” I am the chief of Military Personnel for the Total Force Miliary Personnel Division at the agency’s headquarters here.
My job duties include managing the Air Force’s promotion boards, developmental education programs, and overseeing the readiness and fitness monitoring for all DCMA airmen. In my role, I help manage any necessary promotion-related tasks such as the Promotion Recommendation Forms and ensure records are accurate for the promotion boards.
Our office gathers promotion results and drafts the agency’s promotion release message, which is always an extremely exciting task! Additionally, I ensure our Air Force members are aware of developmental education programs and special duty assignments, and I help them with any questions they have throughout the application process. My team oversees the readiness and fitness programs for the Air Force here. Recently, the Air Force revamped the physical fitness program, which brought exciting updates to the program.
I have been a part of the DCMA team for three years. I like working at DCMA because I help our military members with their career development and advise them on new ways to succeed in their roles. I see first-hand how much effort is put into the career progression of each of our DCMA airmen by the senior leadership, and all the deliberate thought and care that is behind it. I enjoy seeing our military members earn promotions and new opportunities. It is an extremely rewarding job.
One of the great things about working at my location includes being able to have a “big picture” view of the agency’s decision-making process. Whether it is advising senior leaders on an individual Air Force member’s record or witnessing discussions on a policy change, it is eye-opening because I can learn the “why” behind a decision that is made, so I can better counsel the field and our customers.
Over the last three years, the agency has changed. One of the major changes is that we have gone from a fully telework environment to in-office work. The return to the office has been a great way to get to know new people and to connect with the team on a different level.
I am leaving the Air Force in March to become a stay-at-home mother and spend more time with my family. I will miss my job and the team here, but I am excited to start a new adventure.
My favorite hobbies include reading, baking and gardening. I enjoy reading all kinds of fiction. I love historical fiction as it is a fun way to learn about historical events. I also love trying new dessert recipes, and within the last year, I have gotten into baking sourdough bread. I have shared a recipe named “Edgar Allan Dough” with a few coworkers so they can get into baking bread as well.
Something unique about me is that I enjoy listening to True Crime podcasts. I love to listen to them on the way to work or while working out. I even listen to them while taking my shift driving on a family road trip through the middle of nowhere at 2 a.m., but I wouldn’t recommend that to others!