Service members attend retention refresher

Photo By Sgt. Cassandra Monroe | Soldiers listen to a speaker on shortcuts for Microsoft Excel, a database program most used for retention purposes, during a retention conference Feb. 26, at Contingency Operating Base Speicher.  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IRAQ

02.26.2010

Story by Pfc. Cassandra Monroe 

135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq — Soldiers in career counseling positions attended a retention conference Feb. 25 and 26 at the Main Dining Facility, Contingency Operating Base Speicher Speicher, Iraq.

"We gathered Task Force Marne counselors to share knowledge on what the retention office does and to share military occupational specialty skills," said Sgt. Maj. Luis Rivera, the Task Force Marne command career counselor. "We wanted to have all of the counselors in one place to ensure they have the skill set and strategy to accomplish the mission."

The two-day conference included Task Force Marne units that are a part of Task Force Marne and United States Division-North. However, and a couple units who reside in the USD-N area of operations.

The conference featured distinguished guests. Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Andrews, the Task Force Marne command sergeant major, gave some motivational words to the Soldiers and took time to answer a few questions and cleared up some rumors.

"It can be a thankless job if we allow it to be," said Andrews, addressed retention trends and re-enlistment goals for the fiscal year.

"I know that you guys and girls out there are working diligently trying to make sure this happens for your respective units," said Andrews about reaching retention goals.

"I taught a class on the Army personnel retention database," said Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Halford, a retention operations non-commissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. Some of Halford's duties as a retention operations NCO are maintaining retention statistics for the battalion and assisting the senior operations NCO and command career counselor with ceremony protocol, mass re-enlistments and command briefings.

The Army retention database is a new program the retention career counselors started using this fiscal year, said Halford.

"What it does is actually pull our data off our Army information systems and produce statistical reports to let us know where we are in the Army's retention mission. It's a statistical analysis tool," he said.

With the retention MOS, Soldiers have to deal with different systems and databases that are always changing, said Sgt. Maj. Rivera.

Because of constant program updates, a refresher class was held for the conference attendees on Microsoft programs Excel and Access.

"Microsoft Excel is one of the programs we use to do most of our spreadsheets, and it's a perishable tool," said Halford. "I showed them a few things that Excel 2007 does that previous versions couldn't do, like more automatic features that allow Soldiers to save time, working smarter, not harder."

"I learned a lot of neat little shortcuts to do things more effectively on the program," said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Lucas, a career counselor with 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, 3rd Infantry Division. "The Excel shortcuts I learned will help me a lot."

Other classes given during the conference included reviewing the rules for re-enlistment bonuses, exceptions to policies, new rules, changes in retention control points as well as contracting information and purchasing retention items.

"Some other information we gave out included tools and honing skills that are important for career counselors and retention Soldiers to know because it helps fully round that Soldier and allows them to provide comprehensive support," said Halford.

"We're the guys that a lot of people go to for the answer, and if we don't have the answer, we should know where to find it. As career counselors, we're the ones that assist the Soldiers. We may not be able to process the action for them, but we're part of the breadth of knowledge and experience in the Army, so we can refer them to the right resource."

The counselors get guidance on how to run things, but by getting everyone together in the same area, you can learn from each other, said Rivera about holding the conference.

"As career counselors, we have to frequently brief much higher levels of command as well as other Soldiers, so what better place to hone your skills than with other career counselors that can give you pointers," said Halford.

The conference attendees also took a course on personal development. The personal development course included ways of moving up in the career counseling field, and how to become a better quality career counselor. The course also showed the NCOs where they needed to be, both military and civilian school-wise.

"Our focus is on shaping the force, and ensuring that we retain the right people in the force," said Halford. You constantly have to advise Soldiers on where they need to be personally and professionally and where they are in their retention goals, and their future in the Army."

• Date Taken: 02.26.2010
• Date Posted: 02.28.2010 13:28
• Story ID: 45958
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ