Army civilians serve alongside Soldiers every day, in every theater. From stateside garrisons to forward operating bases in Afghanistan, Army civilians write contracts, deliver goods, manage networks, operate ranges, manage business operations and provide support functions that would otherwise present distractions to training and wartime operations. From the sound of reveille to when a soldier turns out the lights at the end the day, Soldiers are supported by their civilian counterparts.
There are vacant positions throughout the U.S. Army Installation Management Command which need to be filled so IMCOM can provide world-class customer service and deliver programs and services to Soldiers, civilians, and families. Throughout the command, about 40 percent of civilian employees have served in uniform.
For Soldiers considering taking off their uniform, continuing their career with the Army as a civilian is a logical transition choice, said Col. Francis Burns, at the office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management at headquarters, department of the Army.
"Have you ever wanted to live in Hawaii? Or return to Europe to live and work, while still supporting Soldiers and their families?" Burns asked. "You owe it to yourself to consider using that training and experience you earned in uniform to help you land the perfect job as a civilian."
Federal service may be an ideal opportunity for wounded warriors and disabled veterans through a process called "schedule A" appointment authority. Using schedule A, qualified candidates with disabilities can be hired non-competitively. This speeds up the recruitment process, helping our wounded warriors gain employment while filling critical vacancies quickly. (See sidebar.)
Schedule A benefits both the employer and potential employee by assisting those with disabilities to gain federal employment and by shortening the hiring process -- which averages 102 days using traditional methods.
For example, the IMCOM headquarters placed six interns in less than 45 days using the Schedule A appointment authority and the Wounded Warrior database.
"Schedule A cuts through a lot of the red tape," said Rufus B. Caruthers, the IMCOM EEO director. "The hiring action can take as little as two weeks, it can happen just that fast."
There are many opportunities for Soldiers transitioning out of the Army, regardless of their status, to continue their service by joining the IMCOM team. Many of the benefits are obvious: paid job-related training and education, comprehensive benefits packages and leave accruement rates based on time-in-service. In addition to opportunities in the U.S., civilians serve around the world in locations such as Japan, Korea, Europe and Puerto Rico, among many others.
There are also many not-so-obvious benefits. The sense of camaraderie and teamwork is strong in the civilian workforce, and is cultivated just as carefully as it is among active-duty Soldiers. Another similarity to serving on active duty is the emphasis Army civilians place on values.
"There's not much difference in how you feel about your job and how you conduct business in and out of uniform," said Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Willie Wilson, who today works for IMCOM and runs the Army's World Class Athlete Program. "And in most Army civilian positions, you're still taking care of Soldiers and their families. I'm glad that's still part of my job description."
The sense of accomplishment and value is high in the Army civilian workforce. In a recent Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, 92 percent of Federal employees answered positively to the statement "The work I do is important."
Training and leader development is also as pervasive in the civilian workforce as it is in uniform. The Civilian Education System, modeled after the Army Non-commissioned Officer Education System, provides a full spectrum of continuing education and career development courses. Civilians are first exposed to the training at in-processing to their first duty station, and have access to schools and virtual classes to help them progress from entry-level to Senior Executive Service.
IMCOM leads the way in work force development initiatives that include yearly opportunities for developmental assignments, structured mentoring programs, and an academy dedicated to instruction of installation management professionals.
IMCOM has also developed the IMCOM Enterprise Placement Program to help ensure the command can keep employees in the organization once hired. IEPP matches job vacancies at Army installations around the world with qualified IMCOM employees already serving in another capacity. The voluntary referral and placement program is designed to give employees affected by structure and resourcing changes the opportunity to relocate and find the best fit to continue serving the Army family. The IEPP enables the command to retain institutional knowledge and preserve its superior workforce, all while continuing the Army's "I will never quit" philosophy that so many Army civilians take to heart.
"That's our version of leaving no Soldier behind," said Lt. Gen. Mike Ferriter, IMCOM Commanding General. "We owe it to our dedicated civilians and to the Soldiers we support to do everything we can to keep a highly-motivated, highly-qualified workforce in place to maintain our infrastructure and sustain our Army." Ferriter remarked that there are more than 2,000 positions available today worldwide throughout IMCOM.
To learn more about the IEPP or civilian job opportunities within the Installation Management Command, visit the IMCOM homepage at www.imcom.army.mil.
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Are you a Soldier, Wounded Warrior transitioning to civilian employment? IMCOM wants YOU!
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