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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Tom Blackburn, acting director for the installation’s Directorate of Human Resources, sat at a large conference table with a notebook full of information. He kept his distance, 6 feet to be exact, and was masked up. He was practicing proper social-distancing measures.
Blackburn, who oversees approximately 214 personnel (119 civil servants and 95 contract employees), said when the post transitioned to minimal mission-essential manning during phase one of the COVID-19 restrictions, 41 staff members remained in the DHR footprint to continue performing mission-critical services.
The focus areas were the Maj. Gen. William C. Lee Soldier Support Center and the Bragg Training and Education Center. The decision as to which services would be provided during phase one was not solely DHR’s, it was a collaborative effort with the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg Garrison command teams.
“Phase one operations were performed under the most stringent and tough conditions,” he said. “It was challenging going from operating with a full staff to a significantly smaller staff, but we did it. For example, we processed over 1,200 AIT (Advanced Individual Training) Soldiers from the first week of April through the last week of May. We also transitioned out over 1,000 Soldiers who were retiring, ETSing (Expiration-Term of Service) or separating. These critical aspects of our mission were completed with a combination of personnel physically being here and teleworking.”
Blackburn said since moving into phase two, the staff in the DHR’s footprint has increased from 41 to 75. As conditions change, additional personnel will be added to increase availability of services.
Joe Grant, acting chief for the Military Personnel Division, DHR, said in a telephone interview, since March 15, his section processed more than 3,000 PCS (Permanent Change of Station) orders.
“We were down for the first couple of days when the restrictions first went into place, but the team never wavered, adapted to the constant changing environment and provided the best service possible,” he said. “No one had written a script for a global pandemic, so we were learning along the way, but the staff in the ID Card Facility and the Transition Center were resilient – it was a total team effort.”
Grant added that even though they were undermanned, the customers were patient and he was appreciative. He said he looks forward to being fully staffed in the future with the ability to provide all the services that were once offered.
Blackburn said DHR was not only providing mission-critical services to Soldiers and their Families, but they assisted other Garrison agencies, enabling them to continue or standup their operations while transitioning to the COVID-19 restriction period.
“During a COVID-19 update, the deputy of DPW (Directorate of Public Works) stated they were to the point they were considering having a number of their personnel take their desktop computers home to telework,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘we have a large number of laptops in the SFL-TAP (Soldier for Life-Transition Assistance Program) classrooms we’re not using since everything shifted to a virtual platform,’ so I offered up computers to the various directorates that needed them.”
Blackburn said out of the 187 laptops DHR had available to take care of internal and external requirements, over 70 were issued to other agencies, including 60 to DPW. He said early on, DHR also assisted the installation’s Religious Support Office by installing a Wi-Fi router to enable them to conduct secure HIPAA compliant tele-health counseling services and assisted the Garrison by installing a router in a barracks building designated for support of quarantined Soldiers.
“Wherever we could help, we were happy to do so,” Blackburn said. “One team, one mission was our mantra and when I needed help, I got it from my friends in DPW. They did a great job of supporting us. During phase one, they put up shields in the customer service section of the ID Card Facility to protect our employees and the public.”
As more services begin to open in the DHR footprint, Blackburn said he has asked DPW for additional support and DPW is working aggressively to take care of the additional shield requirements for DHR.
Both Blackburn and Grant said the DHR team relied on each other. There was not a ‘my way or the highway’ mentality.
“Seventy-seven percent of our staff are veterans,” Grant said. “They served in the military or are a spouse of someone in the military. So, because you have been on the other side, taking care of Soldiers and their Families is a personal investment. We are motivated to get it right no matter how big the juggling act. Our service members and their Families are our number one priority.”
Blackburn added he is very proud of the way the DHR team has responded during these extremely challenging times, and despite the tough conditions, continues to provide outstanding support to sustain the readiness of military personnel, Family members, and commanders of the greater Fort Bragg community.
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.22.2020 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 372585 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Bragg's DHR never wavers, continues to provide mission critical services during global pandemic, by Jacqueline Thomas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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