Washington reservist deployed to OEF puts skills to the test in Qatar

Photo By Sgt. Jennifer Sardam | U.S. Army reservist Spc. Paige M. Voisin, a Bellevue, Wash,. native, is currently an administrative specialist with 304th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in the U.S. Central Command Public Affairs Office in Qatar.  

QATAR

02.24.2006

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

By Spc. Jennifer Sardam
CENTCOM Public Affairs/ESGR Forward Team

QATAR -- U.S. Army reservist Spc. Paige M. Voisin said the past four months of her deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) have presented some unique challenges.

The first two weeks of the U.S. Army Reserve 304th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment's (MPAD) arrival in Qatar offered the bulk of the learning experiences. "When you get to an area, you've got to learn to network and who to go to to get things solved," said Voisin. "And being an administrative person, you're expected to figure out on your own how to handle things."

She credits the past nine years of her military service for providing her with opportunities and testing her abilities. "I wanted to prove something to myself," she said about her reasons for joining the Army. "The military forces you to do things you would never do on your own. I get to learn [about] myself better than most civilians do."

In her civilian role, Voisin works as an on-call security guard with Securitas Security, Inc., where she has been employed for three years in Bellevue, Wash. Currently, she's the MPAD's administrative specialist in the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) Public Affairs Office in Qatar.

As an administrative specialist in the 304th MPAD, Voisin provides direct support to the senior staff in the office and delivers, prepares and proofreads correspondence. She also assists soldiers in the unit with administrative questions and such tasks as filling out their travel vouchers.

Voisin said her civilian employer hires a number of former military members and that many of them were supportive when she notified the company of her upcoming deployment. "They said, "We're honored that you're serving our country.""

Her own military background serves to further identify her as a valuable employee to Securitas. "They knew because of my military background that I wasn't going to say no when they called me in to work," she said. "They knew they could count on me."

USCENTCOM, located at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., is the unified command responsible for U.S. security interests in 27 nations that stretch from the Horn of Africa (HOA) through the Arabian Gulf region, into Central Asia. USCENTCOM is one of nine unified commands in the Department of Defense (DOD).

Central Command's mission includes enhancing regional stability and demonstrating a steadfast commitment to regional security. CENTCOM is also responsible for executing the Global War on Terror in its assigned area of responsibility (AOR), which includes Iraq, Afghanistan and HOA. Other important USCENTCOM activities include humanitarian and security assistance programs, as well as combined training and education opportunities for military members in AOR nations.

"I think it's definitely going to be different," Voisin said about returning home. She added that this deployment caused her to reevaluate her future goals. She plans to attain a degree in criminal justice and seek a supervisory position with Securitas.

This is Voisin's second deployment. Her first was in 1990 to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly known as USERRA, allows Voisin and other mobilized military members to retain their rights to return to their civilian jobs following a deployment. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.

As the 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions that require extraordinary actions on the part of everyday citizens, ESGR will continue to be the information agency for the employers of America's new Minutemen. More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at [phone].

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• Date Taken: 02.24.2006
• Date Posted: 02.24.2006 12:54
• Story ID: 5496
• Location: QA