Over the summer, Kela Ganzer couldn’t take part in local activities, such as small-town festivals, live-music entertainment, and her kids’ events, like she usually does.
The human resources specialist for the Joint Munitions Command spent March through September on deployment at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, where she served as a human resource manager for the Army Expeditionary Civilian Workforce.
“They handle a program of Civilians who do temporary deployments in support of the mission in overseas locations,” Ganzer said of AECW. “Basically, I took care of all the Civilians that came through. I welcomed them. I made sure they knew exactly where to go and made their connections to help them feel at home because they’re, again, in a deployed status. I was involved in making sure we have accountability for all of our Civilians in Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Iraq.”
Ganzer, who created a couple different policies and procedures for the program while in Kuwait, missed being in the continental United States the most because it meant time away from her family.
But being abroad wasn’t so bad either. In fact, Ganzer volunteered when the opportunity came about.
“I really love the mission, and I think it's important for Civilians to be close to the mission,” Ganzer said. “It helps us see big picture of things versus just working in our offices every day, so that was a big part of why I wanted to go.”
Volunteering for deployment provides Civilians with a way to enhance their skills and expertise, all while actively contributing to operations of national significance.
"Assignments like Kela’s offer chances for career growth at a level and magnitude that are difficult to duplicate," said Col. Ronnie Anderson Jr., commander of JMC. "It was an opportunity to truly make a difference and contribute significantly to directly support our deployed Soldiers.”
Ganzer, who was awarded a Civilian Service Commendation Medal for her support in Kuwait, started her employment in the Army’s workforce as a human resources specialist for the Civilian Human Resources Agency, and she held a variety of other roles with CHRA for about 11 years. Ganzer moved from there to a position as a human resource specialist at the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center. She joined JMC, which is headquartered at the Rock Island Arsenal, in 2020.
All three of her employment stops have kept Ganzer at RIA and close to her hometown of Donahue, Iowa, but she’s been to Kuwait before. While working for CHRA, Ganzer took a few trips to Kuwait and Qatar during the years of 2016 and 2018 on temporary duty assignments.
“I felt comfortable in Kuwait because I had been there in the past,” Ganzer said. “I love experiencing different cultures and places around the world. My home and my family are always in the Quad Cities, but it's nice to take a step away, and then when you come back, you appreciate things back here a lot more.”
About JMC: JMC provides precise and predictive conventional munitions sustainment and life cycle management to an expeditionary global force from 17 arsenals, depots, and ammo plants across the spectrum of conflict in support of the Joint Force.
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