ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Leaders from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command provided updates and answered questions from attendees during a town hall hosted at the Myer Auditorium and broadcast virtually via Microsoft Teams Nov. 8.
CECOM Commander Maj. Gen. Robert Edmonson II said he recently passed the 90-day onboard mark with the CECOM team. He said he is learning “a lot” from the team and is traveling to meet CECOM personnel.
“I am amazed at how good and proficient you are,” Edmonson said.
He also will continue to provide updates about the COVID-19 pandemic via emails to the workforce. Those circumstances are constantly changing, he said.
“I want to thank you upfront for your patience and your support in something that this country and this world hasn’t experienced in well over 100 years,” he said.
According to Edmonson, the CECOM team had received guidance that all federal employees must be vaccinated except in limited circumstances where an employee is reasonably entitled to an accommodation.
“Having COVID in the past is not a vaccination,” he said.
Edmonson also discussed the new fiscal year, which he said will be dynamic.
“A dynamic fiscal year that is going to (require us to) balance demands and requirements in a way that we haven’t had to balance those demands and requirements in the past,” he said.
FEVS
CECOM Command Sgt. Maj. Kristie Brady talked to employees about the importance of feedback through the 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, an annual confidential survey published every year. The results of this survey drive Army initiatives into the future, she said. The survey was sent to a random sample of employees and the deadline is Dec. 3.
“Feedback is such a critical link into the growth and feedback of our employees,” she said. “It shows ownership and accountability.”
COVID-19 vaccination guidance
Lara Orechovesky, chief of current operations, CECOM G3/5, said the deadline for Army civilians to be fully vaccinated was Nov 22. The deadline for active military is Dec. 15. Contractors are dependent on their contract language. Those who have not received their vaccinations can go to vaccines.gov to find a location near them.
Army civilians are required to complete a DD Form 3175 attesting to their vaccination status and provide proof of vaccination to their supervisor. This can be provided by either milConnect or hard copy to their supervisor.
Proof of vaccination must include type of vaccination, number of doses administered, dates of administration, name of health care provider or clinic who administered the vaccine.
CECOM campaign plan and USR
Antonio Amos, chief of future operations CECOM G3/5, discussed the CECOM campaign plan. He said CECOM’s path to success is tied to unit readiness.
“Readiness is everything from industrial based readiness, supply availability and equipment readiness, data analytics, logistics and information readiness,” he said. “Readiness is the key and all of these areas are addressed in the campaign plan.”
Amos said the campaign plan is “progressing nicely, but we still have work to do.” He said they are on track with delivering the commanding general with a final draft by the end of the calendar year.
Amos encouraged attendees to view the campaign plan, located on the CECOM portal, under “future operations.”
He said readiness is measured by the Unit Status Report, or USR. This is used to measure the status of a unit’s resources and training at a specific point in time and is based on resources made available to the unit. Units submit USR via the DoD Readiness Reporting System.
The USR measures the levels of four major areas: personnel, supply, training and readiness.
Pay Pools
Pamela Delaine, CECOM G1/Director of Human Resources, discussed the Department of Defense Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo) pay pool process. She said this process is designed to validate assessments of contributions against three factors. These factors are job achievement, communication and teamwork, and mission.
Delaine said Acqdemo payouts should be reflected in the leave and earning statement in late January. If it is not, talk to your supervisor or pay pool administrator, she said.
She invited CECOM employees to view the G1 Sharepoint site.
For more information, contact Rhonda Smith, Rhonda.y.smith12.civ@army.mil.
CECOM Safety Office
Wally Edwards with the CECOM Safety Office gave an overview of holiday safety reminders.
Edwards said the holiday season can be stressful, so he reminded attendees to take some time to decompress.
“The holiday season is not the best for everyone,” he said. “Some folks might be a little sad during these times if they have recently lost a loved one. So make sure you reach out to them, include them or send them a note or a card, just to make sure everyone is doing well.”
At the end of the program, CECOM personnel were recognized for excellence, retirements and length of service.
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