SEMBACH, Germany - John Jones, Equal Employment Opportunity manager for U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, is passionate about educating others on the EEO process. He recently had the chance to do just that when he co-facilitated training for 20 new collateral duty EEO counselors from across Installation Management Command Europe.
“The opportunity to help people – and that’s complainants, people that aren’t even in the process, management, anybody who wants to know something about EEO – my passion is being able to educate them and to provide that information so that it’s not such a hidden process,” Jones said. “There’s a lot of stigma about EEO, and I like to help people understand what it’s about so they’re more in tune with what we’re attempting to do, which is making a workplace that’s free of discrimination and harassment.”
The EEO process is in place to enforce federal laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. EEO counseling is a required part of that process and often the first chance the aggrieved party has to articulate their allegations and attempt resolution of the situation. The counselors are there as neutral parties to facilitate the process at the lowest level. At the end of the pre-complaint process, the aggrieved parties have the option to file a formal EEO complaint if no resolution was reached.
After wrapping up the 36-hour training course facilitated by Jones and IMCOM-Europe EEO manager Rex Thomas, the new counselors will complete three pre-complaint counseling sessions under the supervision of IMCOM-Europe’s EEO Complaint and Compliance Program manager, Thomas LaBelle. Once this is complete, the counselors will receive their certification and be available to counsel pre-complaints across the IMCOM-Europe footprint.
Anna Wysoczanska-Frischkorn, was a support specialist with Area Support Group Poland when she first learned about the EEO collateral duty counseling program in 2022. A lot of people would come into the office and share their frustrations about being away from their families on unaccompanied tours in Poland, Wysoczanska-Frischkorn said. One of her mentors at the time suggested her active listening skills would be ideal in the role of an EEO counselor role. She decided to learn more.
“I like to volunteer for new things and learn new things, so I thought that sounds like something I could look into,” she said.
From there she attended a stateside collateral duty course, passed with flying colors and came back to Poland to add EEO collateral duty counselor to her list of duties. Since then, Wysoczanska-Frischkorn has continued to take EEO courses and in October officially started her new position as the USAG Poland EEO specialist.
For anyone who would like to learn more about becoming a collateral duty EEO counselor, Jones encourages them to reach out to their local EEO officer.
“It’s a useful developmental tool beyond just helping the EEO staff,” Jones said about other benefits of the training. “It will help people in their daily work to be able to watch and be mindful of situations.”
Wysoczanska-Frischkorn said she is glad she took the step in 2022 to learn more about the program.
“The journey was great,” she said. “The IMCOM-Europe EEO team has been great providing guidance. They are always available, and they always make time for people like me that are still learning. They have that faith in me, and that support is just tremendous.”
Those interested in learning more about the EEO program should reach out to their garrison EEO officer or Thomas at DSN 314-544-2200 or rex.a.thomas.civ@army.mil.
Learn more about EEO:
Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
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