Pazell works in the recovery field office as an action officer, helping the other annuitants with any issues they may have while deployed. USACE is overseeing the debris removal mission under a Federal Emergency Management Agency mission assignment. This is part of a coordinated effort with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the County of Maui and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up areas of the island affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. VIEW ORIGINAL
LAHAINA - Following the wildfires that ravaged Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began providing support for a Federal Emergency Management Agency-led recovery mission.
Members of the reemployed annuitant cadre stepped forward to help with this recovery. Although they have retired from civil service, they still desire to give back to impacted communities following emergencies and disasters.
“Working as an RA keeps my mind young. Going on these disasters gives me a sense of purpose, knowing that I made a difference in people’s lives and their communities,” said Kaye Pazell, action officer for the cadre deployed to Maui in support of the wildfire mission.
Pazell works in the recovery field office as an action officer, helping the other annuitants with any issues they may have while deployed.
She retired from the Army headquarters as civil service in 2017 out of Joint Base San Antonio, where she worked in Army housing for 30 years.
“I grew up in housing, helping many families along the way,” said Pazell. “The RA cadre is an extension of my work as an Army civilian.”
Following decades in civil service with multiple government agencies, Steve Sabillo learned about the RA cadre while on an emergency deployment, not long before he decided to retire. He has supported missions with FEMA and with USACE.
“As a cadre member, you can pick and choose what missions you take after the first year,” said Sabillo. “You can also be in the field or office.”
Sabillo likes to be in the field in the thick of the work, where he can see the day-to-day changes. Being in the field also gives him the most significant opportunity to meet the people impacted by the disaster.
“The RA cadre provides a wealth of knowledge and experience during a disaster operation,” said Col. Eric Swenson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Recovery Field Office commander for the West Maui County, Hawaii, wildfires. The experience and knowledge usually come from years of supporting emergency missions during their active federal service career.”
“When an RA shows up, I can put them to work immediately; plus, they are great mentors to teammates new to disaster response. Since RAs are retired, they are usually unencumbered and therefore flexible on arrival and departure dates and the needs of the mission,” said Swenson.
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