SAN ANTONIO - U.S. Army Environmental Command hosted a graduation ceremony to recognize 18 employees that participated in the first iteration of the revamped basic environmental support manager training program, known as ESM 101.
USAEC prides itself in having a skilled workforce that can support Army efforts in protecting land, air and water; meeting environmental standards; enabling Army operations; maximizing availability of training lands; and protecting Soldiers, families and communities.
In an effort to make sure that environmental restoration standards and requirements were met, Amanda Sherman, a USAEC physical scientist and environmental support manager for the West and Pacific Division, developed the ESM 101 training program. She wanted to give new employees a chance to learn the job basics from a variety of sources to have a good understanding of their role and responsibilities.
“A co-worker reached out to me, seeking mentorship and was frustrated they were not receiving the support they were needing to do their job,” said Sherman. “I couldn’t ignore the plea anymore and would not feel right when looking in the mirror if I did not do something.”
Sherman's willingness to assist her colleagues to better understand USAEC launched the ESM 101 training program. During the graduation, everyone recognized her commitment to the program.
“I appreciate it when people step up, take the initiative and help their colleagues”, said Col. Matthew F. Kelly, USAEC commander. “Kudos to all those who helped make this training happen. And I congratulate all the new environmental support managers and all participants for their part in making the first iteration of the training a success.”
“There were a lot of Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education interns and recent graduate hires in the first iteration of the program,” said Sherman.
The first two ESMs to enter the ESM 101 program were recent graduates, Xavier Hutchinson and Army Civilian Training, Education and Development System intern, Taren Frescatore.
Hutchison was a recent graduate hired as a physical scientist at USAEC. He was committed to attending every ESM 101 meeting after accepting the job with USAEC to ensure he was set up for success working for the federal government.
“ESM 101 did a great job in creating a road map in explaining the process and how to handle different topics that we will come across during our time working here,” said Hutchinson.
Frescatore was the first Department of the Army fellow to participate in the program. She worked for the West and Pacific Division at USAEC.
“The resources from Amanda allowed me to build a library on the different USAEC topics to be able to go back and review things when needed,” said Frescatore.
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