Episode #6: Deployment Operations
Transcript for this episode available here: CALL Podcast Ep 6, Deployment Operations transcript [TXT - 48.1 KB]
In this podcast, two Army Civilian Professionals from the Deployment Process Modernization Office, Stacey Lee and James Swenson, share their extensive experience preparing and executing military deployment operations. The discussion delves into practical advice and resources available to units to enhance their deployment readiness. The "Deployer's Toolbox" and the "Command Deployment Discipline Program (CDDP)" are highlighted as essential tools for commanders and unit movement officers (UMOs). These resources provide checklists, best practices, and a framework for preparing, exercising, and ultimately excelling at deployment operations. The conversation emphasizes a crucial mindset: commanders and units cannot view deployment as a logistical task owned solely by specialists. Instead, deployment ops must be treated as a core operational competency, integrated into daily battle rhythms and training exercises.
Key Highlights: They discuss the evolution of deployment operations, from the structured rotations of the past to the more dynamic and contested environments of the future. The speakers also underscore the importance of building relationships with key enablers at the installation and strategic levels. The speakers stress that every training opportunity, from a trip to the range to a field exercise, should be leveraged to build "reps and sets" in deployment-related tasks. The conversation also touches on the unique challenges faced by the National Guard and Reserve components and the need for a "whole of government" approach to secure deployment routes in a contested homeland.
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Host: Mr. Jeremy Stermer is a military analyst at CALL at Fort Leavenworth. He retired as a LTC after 20 years of service as an Infantryman. His deployments include Bosnia, Iraq, and the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Career Captain’s Course, Command and Staff Collage (08), Appalachian State University (BS 96) and Central Michigan University (MS 08).
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Guests:
Mr. Stacey Lee
LTC(R) Lee began his military career as a 12B Combat Engineer at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, serving as an enlisted soldier in Korea, Fort Campbell, and Fort Hood. While attending college, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve and the South Carolina Army National Guard before being commissioned into the Transportation Corps from Clemson University, with a two-year branch detail in the Field Artillery Corps.
Throughout his commissioned career, LTC(R) Lee held various positions, ranging from company-level roles to four-star command positions. He completed three deployments to Kuwait and Iraq and has earned multiple master's degrees. He is currently pursuing a doctorate.
After retiring from military service in 2015, LTC(R) Lee was hired as an Army Civilian Professional and currently serves as the Branch Chief for Deployment Standards in the Deployment Process Modernization Office at Fort Lee, Virginia. In this role, he leads a team dedicated to improving the Army's force projection operations.
Mr. James Swenson
Mr. Swenson served as an 88N – Transportation Management Coordinator in the United States Army.
Throughout his, Mr. Swenson held various positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic level. He completed three deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Transportation & Logistics Management and holds certifications as a Certified Export Specialist, Demonstrated Senior Logistician, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
He is currently serving as the Deployment Analysis Branch Chief for the United States Army, Deployment Process Modernization Office at Fort Lee, VA. His branch drives DOTMLPF-P changes, enhancing the Army’s force projection capabilities.
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Key Links: Deployer's Toolbox, USTRANSCOM, CASCOM
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