Accountability key in Operation Tomodachi

Photo By Sgt. April de Armas | Soldiers with U.S. Army Japan and I Corp (fwd) welcome family members home after a voluntary deaprture due to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.  

CAMP ZAMA, FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN

04.26.2011

Story by Spc. April de Armas 

U.S. Army Japan

CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Accountability systems for soldiers and military personnel have always been in place whether it was a sign-in sheet or a large computerized database. For U.S. Army Japan and I Corps (FWD) soldiers it is no different. When the March 11 earthquake shook Japan, accountability became the top priority for USAR-J and I Corps (FWD). The command’s G-1 (Human Resources) team was directed to account for all Army personnel, Army Department of Defense employees and their families living in Japan.

The G-1 team is resourced to provide a strategic level of human resources expertise, advice and support to the Commanding General. They are also responsible for conducting bi-lateral engagement, building interoperability in support of Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces, and providing assistance, if called upon, in humanitarian and disaster relief in Japan. However, because of the natural disaster that occurred in March, the staff needed more manpower to execute the mission.

“Our job was to help provide extra manpower and supplement the USAR-J and I Corps (FWD) G-1 office needs during this real world accountability mission,” said Sgt. Maj. Paul C. Blanchard Jr., Personnel Accounting and Strength Reporting Sergeant Major, 8th Human Resource Sustainment Center, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. “As the Pacific HRSC theater enabler, it is our mission to make sure we set-up the right system for accountability when we hit the ground,” said Blanchard. “Lt. Col. Steve Cornelius and I discussed at length an accountability conceptual plan, the skill set, and mind set of those individuals for the Quick Reaction Force that arrived in Japan on March 22nd.”

The Army has been using the system Deployed Theater Accountability System for several years in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility. It provides commanders a tool for real-time data of personnel by date and location on the ground. However, it has never been used by the Army to track family members.

“This is a groundbreaking initiative for this operation,” said Lt. Col. Steve Cornelius, Chief of Personnel Accounting, 8th Human Resource Sustainment Center, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. “We have used DTAS in deployed theater of operations for some time, but never during a humanitarian operation especially in a country that already has an infrastructure already in place. However, when we got here we realized that the personnel structure was not as adequate as it should be in light of the overwhelming devastation and the challenges of dispersed units and agencies.”

Accountability was necessary for all military members as well as DOD employees, contractors and dependants. By implementing DTAS and by investing many hours of manpower, the 8th HRSC was able to help USAR-J and I Corps (FWD) establish and account for all of Army soldiers, employees and family members, by-name, date, and location throughout Honshu and the rest of Japan, including Kyushu and Okinawa.

“A myriad of tasks had to be accomplished in the early stages and multiple tasks were being worked and completed by the entire team,” said Blanchard. “The mission was more complex than first appeared but the reality of accomplishing 100% accountability of all Army and military elements in Japan was more of a challenge than anticipated.”

Training HR personnel across Japan on DTAS and Tactical Personnel System would prove challenging for the 8th HRSC. The geographical dispersion of units and the location of service members traveling in and out theater of operations was difficult.

“We had to establish a system to help account for personnel by location. Establishing the Army Reception Center [ARC] was one of many initiatives employed to establish accountability of personnel moving in and out and around the AOR.” said Cornelius.

“I am extremely proud of my soldiers as they stepped their game up and operated on a professional level the entire time,” said Blanchard. “These young soldiers are what have made this mission a success and it is these young soldiers that will lead our Army into the future.”

• Date Taken: 04.26.2011
• Date Posted: 04.26.2011 23:37
• Story ID: 69409
• Location: CAMP ZAMA, FUKUSHIMA, JP