FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 7, 2015) -- There is no doubt that settling into a new installation can be a difficult transition for any Soldier -- from a young private arriving at his or her first duty station, to the most seasoned Soldier completing one of many permanent-change-of station moves.
Aside from having to acclimate to a new environment and to learn the battle rhythm of a new unit, there is also a great deal of paperwork to complete and many appointments and briefings to attend.
During a luncheon held April 23 at the Commons, a DA Civilian was honored for his tireless efforts to ensure that this transition process is as smooth as possible for every Soldier and Family Member arriving at Fort Drum.
Brian O'Connor, supervisor for the Personnel Services Branch, Military Personnel Division, Directorate of Human Resources, was named Fort Drum's Civilian of the Year for the vital role he played in assisting with the planning and implementation of a new, more in-depth in-processing schedule mandated as part of an updated Army regulation.
A first-generation American growing up in Queens, O'Connor was inspired by his Irish father's hard work and dedication to his family.
"My father raised me saying 'either have a trade or join the military,'" O'Connor said. "The work ethic he brought from Ireland was something he instilled in me and my brothers."
Right out of high school, O'Connor became a carpenter. At the end of his three-year apprenticeship, he was laid off.
Married to his high school sweetheart, O'Connor and his wife owned a home in the city. They were expecting their first baby, so he decided that joining the military would be the best way to provide for his family.
"I walked down to a local recruiting station," he recalled. "I pulled the Marine Corps door because they were closest, but it was closed. I walked to the next door -- the Air Force -- and the door was also closed. I went to the Army door, pulled it open and about six guys jumped up and said 'hey, can I help you?'"
O'Connor signed the paperwork that day.
His first duty station was Fort Wainwright, Alaska. O'Connor vividly recalls the months leading up to his first permanent-change-of-station move.
"Three to four months before I was scheduled to PCS, I got a call from a Soldier at Fort Drum -- Cpl. Russell," he said. "He stated that he was my sponsor and point of contact at the new unit, and he told me that I could call him if I had any questions."
The two spoke many times over the course of the next few months. Russell met O'Connor at the Syracuse airport and drove him to Fort Drum. He drove O'Connor around post, helping him complete all of his in-processing tasks. Russell's support didn't end there.
"He brought me in to my unit to meet my new first sergeant and my new commander, and then he stayed with me for about 15 days," he said. "That made a huge impact. I know the Sponsorship Program at Fort Drum works because Cpl. Russell made it work even back then."
Thanks to the support of his unit, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, O'Connor also was allowed to take leave in order to move his wife and child, who had stayed in New York during his duty assignment in Alaska, to Fort Drum.
Years later, as a staff sergeant, having served as a section chief and platoon sergeant at 2-15 FA, O'Connor applied for a special assignment -- noncommissioned officer in charge for in-processing with what used to be known as the 10th Replacement Company.
"First Sgt. Duvall interviewed me and said 'you've got the job,'" O'Connor said. "It was a tough adjustment from firing rounds on the range to building schedules for the Soldiers who arrived on post on any given day."
Just days after assuming his new job, O'Connor received a call from Duvall, who said the 10th Replacement Company was to be inactivated. The Directorate of Human Resources would assume the role of assisting in-processing Soldiers.
With the support of Greg Ferguson, the director of human resources at the time, and Bob Silik, the facility manager, O'Connor began working to develop a standard five-day in-processing schedule. At this time, he was approaching the window of time during which he would have to make a decision regarding reenlistment.
As he was debating whether to sign on for an additional term, O'Connor was approached by Ferguson and was offered the opportunity to continue his current job as a Civilian Employee, should he choose not to reenlist.
"My Family and I weighed our options," he said. "We had lived in the same house almost the entire time we had been at Fort Drum. The children loved the Watertown school district and all it had to offer. We made a Family decision for me to accept the job."
In 2008, O'Connor separated from the military and was officially hired as a human resources assistant while still on terminal leave. For the next six years, O'Connor and co-workers within the Military Personnel Division worked together to refine the five-day in-processing schedule.
Last year, new guidance came down from Army higher headquarters, stating that installations were to make their in-processing procedures much more comprehensive -- including required training sessions in resiliency, suicide prevention and much more.
The previous five-day schedule already included many of these requirements; however, some important information was included in sessions scheduled outside of this five-day window.
Soldiers were relied upon to complete them when they were scheduled, but sometimes -- due to Family and unit obligations -- they did not.
"We found that there was a low completion rate -- around 60 percent," he said. "One of the biggest changes we made was to incorporate all required briefings -- and others that we and (then 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum commander) Maj. Gen. Stephen Townsend determined to be essential."
After a great deal of planning that required input from many Fort Drum agencies and subject-matter experts, a comprehensive eight-day schedule was developed. Gilbert McEachern, O'Connor's supervisor, said that without his hard work, in-processing procedures would not be nearly as thorough.
"We used to have nine agencies involved in in-processing," McEachern said. "We now have more than 36. They have worked with us to make sure the Soldiers are getting everything they need -- and that is due, in large part, to Brian's efforts."
O'Connor credited his supervisors and co-workers for supporting him through this process.
"I am really indebted to our director, Mary Cooper, our chief of military personnel, James Garrett, and 1st Sgt. (now retired) Daniel Johnson," he said. "They guided me through this process. While I was deeply involved in the planning process, I had no worries -- I knew that the Soldiers were taking care of things."
The 24 Soldiers currently working at the Welcome Center come from all different units across the installation. They pick up arriving Soldiers and Families from the airport, are instrumental in assisting with in-processing tasks and are available 24 hours a day to provide assistance to any Soldier or Family Member in need of guidance, O'Connor said.
"O'Connor wears a lot of other hats as well," McEachern said. "He is the assistant master driver for DHR and trains all Soldiers and Civilians here."
O'Connor recalls one harrowing trip to Syracuse, when he and a convoy of Soldiers picked up Soldiers and Families who had been stranded at the airport.
"By the time the weather gave us a window to make a run, we had 74 Soldiers (and Family Members) waiting," he said. "We made a 14-van convoy to Syracuse and returned with no issues."
Aside from his regular job duties, O'Connor is also the facility manager for Clark Hall and the property manager for Military Personnel Division. O'Connor said that his ultimate goal is for every arriving Soldier and Family Member who walks through the doors of Clark Hall to never forget the experience that they had at the Welcome Center. He said it is his hope to continue to adapt to their needs so that they are always taken care of to the best of his ability.
"I still have NCO blood coursing through my veins -- that will never go away," he said. "There is nothing more rewarding to me than setting these folks up to be successful and starting them off on the right foot."
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