ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- The Communications-Electronics Command, a subordinate element of the Army Materiel Command, welcomed representatives from local colleges and universities to its 2015 Academia Day on Friday.
The collaborative effort was designed to highlight the AMC, CECOM and Aberdeen Proving Ground worldwide missions and employment capabilities and used as an opportunity to ignite and foster an interest in public, civilian service.
"Today is all about our future," AMC Commander Gen. Dennis Via said. "I am here today because someone ignited a passion in me, a fire. I have always felt I needed to return that favor and try to ignite the same in others."
The event aimed at collegiate educators and administrators showcased the state-of-the-art facilities, professional employees and future opportunities existing within AMC, CECOM and at APG while aiming to build long-term relationships with local post-secondary institutions.
In discussing his personal upbringing as a youth from Martinsville, Virginia, to the four-star position he occupies today, Via explained how a teacher saw in him qualities he did not know he had. He credited that impetus as his start in life and used the example to stress to the academic audience that one never really knows when opportunity knocks.
What my career has shown me," Via continued, "is that there are tremendous opportunities in the federal service for a valuable, fruitful and productive career. We don't seem to tell that story enough, and that's on us. But we want you, our post-secondary academic professionals, to know about us and express to your students, that federal service is a viable option upon graduation. An option that appreciates and continues to develop talent.
"Our workforce is aging and many are approaching retirement. We need to grow the future not only today, but over and over to make sure our Soldiers, who are out there in harm's way, remain the best-equipped, best-trained and best-prepared force in the world."
The daylong agenda featured remarks from both Via and CECOM Commander and APG Senior Installation Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce Crawford, seminars on success in the federal career path, navigating the USAJobs website, and insights on federal resume writing techniques. It also included a discussion panel staffed by former federal interns who shared their personal experiences of federal employment, hoping to impart insight and lessons learned along the way. The afternoon included hands-on demonstrations and information booths by the various AMC and APG agencies, centering on the work they do at Aberdeen Proving Ground in the defense of the country.
Educators attending the event found the information valuable.
Denise Traynor, a program management specialist from Frostburg (Maryland) State University, said she was here to explore options for FSU-Cecil College students majoring in materiel engineering.
"We are just up the road now in Cecil County," Traynor said. "We have just opened this program in concert with Cecil because this particular degree will work well in the needs of Aberdeen Proving Ground. I intend to use this day in an attempt to create entry pathways which our students can access for APG employment and beyond. It's exciting."
"This is not a one-and-done," Via said. "We all have important jobs we do each day, but our most important mission is to grow the future. The students we influence today are those we are building the foundation with and for."
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