Intern Orientation in the Army G-1

Photo By Cory Hancock | Jason Smith, (right) a CP26 intern receives a certificate of completion from Beryl Hancock, CP26 Proponency Office chief, following the annual CP26 intern orientation held at the Pentagon Conference Center, Jan. 15. (Photo by Cory Hancock, JFHQ-NCR/MDW Public Affairs)  

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES

10.06.2014

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Career Program 26

By Jason Smith
U.S. Army Career Program 26

WASHINGTON - Jason Smith, originally from Akron, Ohio, started his Army career as an infantryman in 1992. After serving with the 1/509th Airborne Infantry Battalion and the 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) for six years, he transitioned to a career recruiter. He served in a variety of recruiting assignments, culminating as the First Sergeant of Carlisle Recruiting Company. Following his retirement in 2013, he began his civilian career as a Manpower and Force Management Intern at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.

As an intern assigned to Carlisle Barracks, one of the Army’s smallest installations, the idea of spending seven weeks working at the Pentagon was very intriguing to me. During my first year as an intern and throughout my 20-year military career, I have frequently been on the execution end of the decisions that are made at the Headquarters, Department of the Army level. So when a chance to meet and work with several key decision makers at this level was offered, I had to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity!

The majority of my seven-week rotation at the Pentagon was spent with the Military Strength Analysis and Forecasting Division (PRS) located in the Plans and Resources Directorate, Army G-1. I quickly realized that the work of this small team of Operations Research & Systems Analysts (ORSA) has a tremendous impact on Army.

One of their primary responsibilities is to use current and historical data to forecast the Army’s strength by grade and skill, 84 months into the future. While you may think this wouldn’t be too challenging with today’s technology, you’d be wrong. It not only requires building and running sophisticated computer models, but also using their own professional experience and past trends to make accurate assumptions on variables that randomly impact Soldier loss rates.

The analysis they provide is needed by leaders in many areas throughout the Army. It is used to help develop accession, training, and retention targets to ensure we have the correct number of trained and available Soldiers to execute the mission. The information is also used to provide strength input for development of the Army budget.

They analyze current data monthly, complete their forecast and present their findings in what’s called the Program Update Brief (PUB) to the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1.

During the PUB, they brief senior leaders on the current and projected strength of the Army, as well as the status of key personnel programs that are impacting force management. Their analysis and recommendations are essential in the implementation and execution of force shaping programs such as the Qualitative Management Program (QMP), Qualitative Service Program (QSP) and various officer separation boards. They also play a key role in ensuring that the Army’s officer and enlisted grade structure is maintained correctly during the current draw-down process.

Following the June 2014 PUB, I had the opportunity to go to Capital Hill with Mr. Roy Wallace, the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Dr. Robert Steinrauf, the Director, Plans and Resources, and LTC Josh Helm, Officer Team Branch Chief, to meet with the House Armed Service Committee (HASC) staff.

The meeting involved briefing the HASC on our current active component strength projections and ensuring that the Army remains compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act. While the meeting wasn’t quite as glamorous as I originally imagined, it was an interesting experience that provided a little taste of the behind the scenes interactions that frequently occur in Washington, D.C.

I gained a solid understanding of the work the PRS team conducts, but I didn’t have the time or necessary experience to personally participate in their monthly analysis. However, I was assigned two projects that helped develop my own analytical skills. The first project involved comparing their previous forecasts with actual data to determine month-to-month accuracy. Using basic statistical methods, I determined accuracy rates and attempted to identify trends and seasonality issues that may improve their forecasting.

The second project involved analyzing data on Soldiers that were separated from the Army for adverse related reasons. The intent of the analysis was to identify whether there was a benefit in refining the computer model to look at smaller sub-groups to improve the accuracy of the forecasts.

In addition to my time spent with the PRS team, I also had the opportunity to meet with several other G-1 division chiefs who discussed the roles and missions of their organizations. Working at the Pentagon not only gives you the chance to see how policy and programs are developed, but also to see how they perform.

My time spent on this rotation renewed my confidence in the caliber of Soldiers and civilians we have in the Army. I truly believe that we have some of America’s best minds working with us. I encourage all employees to pursue a developmental assignment at this level to see how the Army runs from a more strategic perspective

• Date Taken: 10.06.2014
• Date Posted: 11.11.2014 13:10
• Story ID: 147546
• Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US
• Hometown: AKRON, OHIO, US
• Hometown: CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA, US