REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Dateline) – It was a “happy coincidence” that brought Caleb Williams to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center.
Well, it might have been a coincidence that brought Williams to the Center’s booth at his college career fair, but it was the impression that he made on the Center’s Chief of Staff Steve Fisher, combined with a lot of hard work and dedication in his schooling that eventually landed him a job.
But what sold Williams on the Center was its commitment to its newest members of the team.
“When I first started looking for a job, I really didn’t know much about the Army, even being from Huntsville,” Williams said. “But what Mr. Fisher said about the Young Professionals group, for me, that was a really big draw.”
Williams had always excelled at school, graduating from high school at age 17, and then earning his undergraduate degree in finance at age 20. Realizing that he might not yet be ready to enter the workforce, he continued his schooling at the University of Alabama, earning a master’s degree in public administration.
But where is there a place for a finance major in an Army organization whose very name focuses on its core competencies of aviation, missiles? Williams found a professional home in Accounting and Systems where part of his duties includes overseeing travel financial requirements and assisting team members with their travel duties. It’s a big job – and a job that comes with much responsibility.
It was also a job that was hybrid, which meant that Williams would be learning it mostly virtually.
“Being remote wasn’t a top priority but when the opportunity presented itself, I knew had experience learning virtually during the pandemic,” he said. “Having COVID hit in the middle of my college experience, it pushed me to learn effectively in a virtual setting, especially when having great mentors like I have in my coworkers.”
What has also helped acclimate Williams to his job is the Young Professionals. While the group brings newer members of the Center together for networking and fun, they also aim to serve as a voice in the Center and help shape its future.
One of the ways that they are doing so is by participating in the Center’s executive steering group. Williams was chosen to represent the YPs at its most recent meeting, in which he had the opportunity to speak with and listen to senior leaders as they developed plans for the organization’s future.
“I was nervous going in – knowing that all of the directors would be there,” he said. “It was enlightening – very eye opening. For me, it is important that the organization continues to improve the culture at all levels and not stay stagnant. It was a big forum, but everyone had a voice, even the young professionals. And they wanted to hear our ideas because they said that we are the future of the organization.”
It is apropos that Williams’ advice for the new professional starting out their career follows in that vein of collaboration between the old guard and the future leaders.
“Soak up the knowledge of the people who have been there,” he said. “But also bring in your new ideas. You might see a better way of doing something. Be vocal about that because your new idea can be an important one for the organization.”
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The DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the Army’s research and development focal point for advanced technology in aviation and missile systems. It is part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. AvMC is responsible for delivering collaborative and innovative aviation and missile capabilities for responsive and cost-effective research, development and life cycle engineering solutions, as required by the Army’s strategic priorities and support to its Cross-Functional Teams.
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