Photo By Maj. Kyle Key | Lt. Col. Chris Hill, Reserve Component Transition branch chief with U.S. Army Human...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky. - With notifications from last fall’s Officer Separation Boards looming like clouds on the horizon, Soldiers from the Reserve Component Transition team and Reserve Component Career Counselors trained to prepare a silver lining for officers being involuntarily separated from the Army.
A total of 15 captains and warrant officers from the Silver Siege Program, part of the RCCC, trained at the Army Reserve Readiness Training Center here Jan. 25-27. The intent of the event was to bring Silver Siege officers up to speed on current U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard incentives, stabilization policies, programs and opportunities available to Soldiers selected for release from active duty.
The Silver Siege Program was launched in 2006 to augment RCT’s mission of increasing the number of company grade officers transitioning to the reserve components, and is the primary face of the officer Active Component to Reserve Component (AC2RC) process.
According to U.S. Army Human Resources Command, notifications are being sent this month stating eligibility for continuation of service in the reserve components. The OSB reviewed the files of more than 3,500 basic-branch and Army Medical Department captains in September 2015. However, it is not known how many officers will be involuntarily separated this year. The reductions are part of the Army’s plan to achieve Congress’ mandate to meet an end strength of 450,000 active component Soldiers by the end of fiscal year 2018.
Keeping those eligible officers in the total Army family is the goal of the SSO program, and training was tailored to ensure SSOs would walk away with the right tools to provide a smooth transition. Civilian personnel from HRC’s Officer Accessions Branch instructed a portion of the training to reinforce proper processing of paperwork and knowledge of personnel systems, applicable laws and regulations.
According to the Officer Accessions Branch team, avoidable mistakes not only “add insult to injury” to separating Soldiers, but can also lead to missed opportunities for the Guard and Reserve to receive quality officers into their ranks.
SSOs practiced honing their briefing and counseling skills through role play scenarios, question-and-answer sessions and hands-on systems instruction. Like drill sergeants hovering around the room, the Officer Accessions team conducted on-the-spot corrections and drilled participants on finding common errors on forms and procedural mistakes.
But it is not just clerical errors that present challenges. The Reserve and National Guard conduct business differently and each state has separate policies, procedures and programs. To add to the complexity, SSOs are on one-year, Title 10 Active Duty for Operational Support orders from the Guard and Reserve, requiring the RCT team to perform a delicate balancing act.
“A challenge we have working with our ADOS personnel is timing of training,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christina Bolen, SSO coordinator for the RCT Branch.
“Getting an ADOS SSO trained up and proficient is a two to four month process. Having the overlap of experienced SSOs in the field is the key to smooth transitions. This training was imperative to ensure the RCT Branch, the Officer Accessions Branch and the SSOs are all in sync for this board,” she said.
During the training, experienced SSOs assisted their colleagues on practical assignments and participated in discussions, which helped clarify material being presented.
“[The training] allowed a seasoned person like me to refresh on basics while allowing me to mentor my peers,” said Capt. Jeremy Cobb, a U.S. Army Reserve officer assigned with the Military District of Washington at Fort McNair. “Plus, it's always good to meet with your counterparts and people you speak to every day.”
The SSO program currently consists of 13 officers and two warrant officer. Cobb is one of four Army Reserve officers assigned to the SSO program. The other 12 SSOs are from the Army National Guard. But despite where they may originate, the SSOs are component neutral and are missioned to match the needs of the separating Soldier.
Knowledge, experience and proficiency in the job are important but, according to Dawn Hepler, an HRC human resources analyst, it’s critical for SSOs to demonstrate compassion and empathy as well – especially considering the circumstances.
“All of these officers have served their country honorably just like you,” Hepler stressed to the class. “They just are not fortunate enough to continue in their current capacity. That does not make them bad officers. That does not make them bad people and neither should we look at them that way. Treat them with respect, brief them and guide them as if it were you standing there.”
No list or roster of Soldiers selected by the Officer Separation Board is maintained. Once notified, they must seek out a counselor at their installation’s Transition Center to plan the next chapter of their military service. Lt. Col. Chris Hill, chief for the RCT branch, said since there is no way to know who they are or when they are coming, his team has to be at the ready.
“Our RCCCs (Reserve Component Career Counselors) and SSOs meet the needs of transitioning Soldiers, who are voluntarily leaving the active Army every day,” said Hill. “But when an officer learns their career or dream in the active Army is over, it can be a devastating and emotional event. The good news is that there are options in the Army National Guard and Reserve. We are ready to discuss those possibilities, help chart a new path and provide them with a ray of hope of continued service.”
The RCT team is focused on preserving the overall strength of the Total Army by transferring highly qualified enlisted Soldiers and officers into the reserve components. RCT is a component neutral team, responsible for training, policy management, manning and oversight of the RCCC and Silver Siege programs.
In fiscal year 2015 alone, RCT helped transfer 10,837 service members, saving more than $900 million in taxpayer dollars, which were otherwise invested to develop and train professional Soldiers. RCT provides support to 16 SSOs and more than 140 RCCCs at 48 installations worldwide.
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2016 12:53 |
| Story ID: | 188603 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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