Cherry Point’s IPAC sets the new standard

MCAS CHERRY POINT, NC, UNITED STATES

05.20.2019

Story by Lance Cpl. Jacob Bertram 

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point’s Installation Personnel Administration Center has set a new Marine Corps standard.
Cherry Point’s Installation Personnel Administration Center (IPAC) was voted the 2018 best IPAC in the Marine Corps, boasting a 98 percent effectiveness rating, the highest achieved to date across the Marine Corps.
“This achievement is indicative of the superior management by the officers and noncommissioned officers in the day-to-day operations.” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jason Jolicoeur, Director of MCAS Cherry Point’s IPAC.
To etch their place at the top, the Marines from IPAC established a standard in regard to the mission by ensuring their Marines focused on their professional growth both in and out of the office. Through a combined effort, the six IPAC branches collected, researched, and processed transactions to record nearly 4,000,000 individual items of Marine Corps total force data while keeping errors as low as 1%.
“Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jolicoeur and Master Gunnery Sgt. Mickleson’s [IPAC Staff Noncommissioned Officer in Charge] leadership has created a highly successful team environment that achieves superb results and continued professional development and high moral across the Marines.” said Lt. Col. Christopher Benfield, commanding officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron.
Throughout 2018, the Marines from Cherry Point’s IPAC showed an increase in contributions to their squadron while at the same time, lowering disciplinary issues amongst their own Marines. To help foster the change, the IPAC implemented a mentorship program within their shop to ensure their more than 100 enlisted Marines were being set up for success personally and professionally.
The Marines working in Cherry Point’s IPAC demonstrated the importance of their job by taking care of Marines and their families across the globe, providing stellar support to Marines on installation and deployed. While serving multiple squadrons and detachments, the Marines worked to ensure every Marine received proper pay, awards and recognition as well as any needed administrative action.
“The Marines we currently have deployed are accurately getting payed,” said Lt. Col. Brenden Burks, Marine Aircraft Group 14 executive officer. “Allowing them to focus on the mission, knowing their families are being taken care of back home.”
Cherry Point’s IPAC strives to uphold the image of the, “model Installation Personnel Administration Center”. In 2018, while lowering the number of disciplinary problems across their shop set a precedent for other Marines to follow. The IPAC Marines received a number of awards such as, “Marine of the Quarter”, “Noncomissioned Officer of the Quarter”, and even Marine Corps Installations East “Marine of the Year”, along with a number of meritorious promotions.
Cherry Point’s IPAC goes beyond just being a group of employees, it’s a full-fledged family.
Through their mentorship, the IPAC makes sure each and every Marine under their command is growing both as a Marine and a person, able to identify and achieve their goals. Every Thursday the IPAC shuts down to conduct internal training, using this time for the Marines to learn and fulfill any deficiencies.
“For their hard work and professionalism,” said Jolicoeur. “The Marines of the MCAS Cherry Point are highly deserving of special recognition.”
Once a month, the Marines from IPAC hold a physical training session to help ingrain unit camaraderie and the fact that they are Marines first and administrators second.
They have been present at every competition across the air station, including Combined Federal Campaign’s tug-of-war, the All-terrain Unit Competition, and have even won the MCAS Commanders Cup two years in a row, showing their competitive attitude and their esprit de corps. It was even Cherry Point’s IPAC that took the lead in establishing the MCAS Cherry point shooting team, having 10 of their own on the team.
They are a family first directorate,” said Jolicoeur. “It shows in everything they do.”

• Date Taken: 05.20.2019
• Date Posted: 05.24.2019 15:08
• Story ID: 323163
• Location: MCAS CHERRY POINT, NC, US