Photo By Amy Phillips | Fort Hunter Liggett Recreation Program Manager Glen McMurtry has 30 years of civilian...... read more read more
Army Civilians might not wear a uniform like Soldiers but they have the same call of duty and service to the country.
The Army Civilian Corps is more than 330,000 strong working at installations around the country and abroad. Department of Army Civilians (DACs) are members of the Army Team, provides mission-essential support and lead similar lives as the Soldiers they serve.
To start with, many DACs are veterans and are familiar with the Department of Defense (DoD) mission and Army values. Many are also Army spouses that have been right alongside their Soldier though frequent moves and challenges that come along with them.
DACs also have to learn the alphabet soup of acronyms and jargons like their Army counterparts. They also have to take a litany of mandatory training courses to ensure they are skilled and protect operational security. But by far, the biggest bond that DACs and Soldiers have is their dedication to the mission and the country.
“It’s critical that DACs understand why they have their job, and how they support troops and the DoD mission,” said Angelia Pinto, the civilian deputy to the garrison commander. “Knowing the important role they play enhances their sense of pride and positively impacts customer service.”
Some DACs that know the value of their service are the 18 that received a Civilian Service award during an employee town hall in June 2019, at Fort Hunter Liggett (FHL) ranging from 20 to 35 years of service to the country. It’s fair to say, “They’ve been there, and done that.” In fact, they’re still making a difference in supporting troops and their families.
Laura Belton, the FHL housing manager, plays an important role in ensuring Soldiers and their families have a safe and comfortable home to stay at during their tour of duty. She comes from a family of civil servants and they understand the important role they play to support Soldiers and their families. She and her mother, Mrs. Loman, worked at Fort Ord, California in the 1980s. Mrs. Loman managed the transportation office at Fort Ord and Presidio of Monterey for 42 years.
Belton is catching up with her mother with 35 years of civil service; 15 of them at FHL. The highlight of her career was receiving a Meritorious Service Medal at Fort Ord for excellent coordination with Household Goods Transportation Office and scheduling the 7th Infantry move from Fort Ord to Fort Lewis, Washington. Belton started her career as a GS-03 as a clerk typist at Fort Ord.
When asked what’s kept her going for so many years, she replied, “Helping Army Families and trying to take the best care of our Army housing.” The cost of living in California is sky-high and Army housing is a great asset to offer Soldiers.
More than 70 percent of federal employees are paid through the General Schedule (GS), but there are a variety of alternative pay schedules as well: Federal Wage System for blue-collar workers who are usually paid by the hour; Foreign Service; and Senior Executive Service. There are also the Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF) employees who are paid via funds generated through services, such as the Family, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (FMWR)-managed Child and Youth Services and the Recreation Services at FHL.
“I like the difference I make for the children of the Fort Hunter Liggett community,” said Merrilee Daniels, the division chief Child and Youth Services. She’s been at FHL for three years and has held many positions that directly support Soldiers and their family members in her 20-year career. “I am a huge advocate for children,” said Daniels.
The highlight of Daniels career at FHL was getting the national accreditation through the National Association of Young Children (NAYC).
The year-long process ensured the FHL CYS is properly certified, that all staff are trained to provide top-quality child care services and enrichment activities to children and teens, and all facilities meet Army and NAYC standards.
Her advice for DACs for those that are new to the system, “Read everything, don’t be afraid to ask a questions, be passionate about your career, and everything will connect.” Daniels first civil servant job was working at the Child and Youth Services in Schweinfurt, Germany.
Her husband, Alton Daniels, an Army veteran of 23 years and a FHL Network Enterprise Command employee, says “MWR services plays one of the many critical roles in supporting Soldiers and Families.” He’s served several overseas tours and deployed to Iraq, and when he is away from home, having services and activities was very important.
“Every base I was assigned to provided outstanding support programs, whether it was recording me reading a book and sending it to my daughter, or tours to keep my morale up.”
Recreation Program Manager Glen McMurtry has 30 years of civilian service and nine years of Army service as an armor crewman. As a civilian, he’s deployed to Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq to help set up recreation and sports facilities, and entertainment programs to support troops.
He has been at FHL since 2009 and loves “Being the person who brings relaxation and joy to their time, whether it be at Fort Hunter Liggett, Iraq, anywhere they are away from home.” His first job was a GS 4 working in the sports department in Mannheim, Germany. His advice for DACs is to “Enjoy what you do.”
“Remember, without our service members and their service, there is no need for us Department of the Army Civilians,” said Belton.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2019 17:42 |
| Story ID: | 330144 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 410 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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