REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- When Rickey Hawkins heard Army Materiel Command was looking for highly-qualified individuals to take part in developmental opportunities overseas, he knew he was up for the challenge.
For the past few months, Hawkins has worked at U.S. Army Europe Headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany, helping to write and logistically strategize plans for the European theater.
"We are here to assist Europe in writing their strategic plans. I am making sure AMC's equities are embedded across the theater so we can properly support the joint command (European Command) and USAREUR," Hawkins said.
Hawkins joins the ranks of several AMC employees who answered the call, priding themselves on not only having the credentials to perform their jobs, but to continuously grow in their fields and beyond. AMC's Developmental Program is helping them get there.
"This is a really great assignment, especially for me. It's a juggle, but I'm getting a lot out of it," Hawkins said.
For Hawkins, the 120-day orders, which can be extended, provide a unique opportunity and benefits AMC as a whole. It brings workers outside of their comfort zones into roles they may be familiar with, but perhaps have not done without supervision before, said Susan Povinelli, Workforce Development Specialist with AMC.
"It's really long-term training. A person applies to be exposed to different areas and to learn different skills and competencies." Povinelli said.
For Hawkins, that means doing essentially the same job as the one back at Redstone Arsenal, only with a bit of a spin.
"It's much broader here because I'm working at a joint level. We're working toward a joint strategy with a joint plan. I've learned some intricacies about policies and plans from the theater's perspective," Hawkins said.
"(This experience) has taught me to grow more as an individual because I don't have a supervisor to guide me. You really have to know AMC's business and the expectation of USAREUR to be able to plug and play," Hawkins added.
To get to that point, Povinelli said, 10-year plans are essential. That way, employees can determine what route to take to arrive at the skill level they and their supervisor envision.
Povinelli coordinates with AMC's major subordinate commands to determine their support needs.
She then helps facilitate a temporary assignment for an employee to fill that gap, meeting the MSC's needs and satisfying the worker's career goals.
For Hawkins, that goal is garner as much experience as possible, so he can use those skills at AMC Headquarters and in future assignments.
"I'm enjoying working at (this) level, because it's a test of AMC product working at a joint level at a foreign level. AMC is doing great work here for the command," Hawkins said.
As the subject-matter expert, Hawkins was, for a time, the only AMC HQ employee working in Europe. He's now joined by Dave Lewis and Bill Haddix, who are the command's first liaison officers to U.S. Africa Command and U.S. European Command, both in Stuttgart, Germany respectively. The LNO program is different than the developmental program, but the employees work hand-in-hand to make sure the mission runs smoothly.
Before Haddix arrived, Hawkins filled the LNO seat in addition to his daily tasks. The retired Sergeants Major Academy graduate said juggling the two was not the biggest challenge, though.
"The most intriguing part of this whole journey was receiving notice, and within 96 hours having to pack hot weather and cold weather gear, say goodbye to a family, out-process Redstone Arsenal, get on that plane and check in a hotel," Hawkins said.
Hawkins, who served in Germany in the 1980s, said that experience prepared him for the fast turnaround.
"I felt like I was on the border of Fulda again. Lots of times we had to move at a moment's time, so perhaps my tenure there prepared me for movement. I had no qualms that I could not do this," Hawkins said.
And by all accounts, Hawkins is far succeeding his own expectations. But he's not just doing this for himself.
"I do it for the Soldiers. I'm helping some Soldier come home to his family because of the logistical support that AMC is able to provide. The picture of their family at the airport greeting them is what drives me every day," Hawkins said.
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