Photo By Ayumi Davis | The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command names its 2023 Civilians of the Year....... read more read more
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command has named its three 2023 Civilians of the Year.
Susan Frobe Recella, an administrative support specialist with the deputy chief of staff, G-1, USASMDC, is the supporting staff Civilian of the Year; Kara Pleasant, a program analyst at the Space and Missile Center of Excellence’s Operations Directorate, is the professional/technical Civilian of the Year; and Dee Formby, a general engineer with the command’s Technical Center, is the technical/technical management Civilian of the Year.
Frobe Recella is a crucial member of the USASMDC G1 team, personally managing the command’s “Honorary Award Program” and is the point of contact for Department of Army Headquarters’ award taskers, local recognition programs and assists the Equal Employment Office with their Outreach Awards program. In the past year, she has reviewed and processed more than 100 retirements and departures, more than 50 honorary awards and nearly 200 length of service awards.
Additionally, Frobe Recella assists USASMDC’s secretary of the general staff and works with the Manpower Resource Committee on top of her regular duties. With the committee, she found a need for a new process and began working with Knowledge Management on a more functional way to do the tasks associated with the MRC process.
She is also fundamental in providing advice and counsel on the staffing process using the Knowledge Management Support Tools procedure.
“I’m honored that I was chosen,” Frobe Recella said. “I’m doing the job because I love to come into work with the G-1 team, so I didn’t expect to get it.”
Pleasant has improved and standardized the SMDCoE hiring process and packages that were implemented command wide. She has also improved hiring staff efficiencies and effectiveness. She managed all human resource and human capital strategy planning and execution for more than 160 authorized positions.
Pleasant also oversaw the Year End Celebration, was the Command’s Civilian Welfare Fund Council representative, supported the fiscal year 2023 Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference and lead the volunteer participation of the Personal Emergency Resources for Kids in School program.
Pleasant was critical in the coordination and execution for the SMDCoE Awards Board process and the Acquisition Demonstration pay pool process - employee evaluations – while ensuring compliance to the Office of Personnel Management, Department of Defense, Army and USASMDC policies and regulations. She managed the process of $22,500 in Special Act awards for 13 employees, 366 hours in time off awards for 11 employees, 22 length of service awards, two three-star and senior executive service notes, two honorary awards and seven civilian retirement awards.
The people she works with are what she loves about her job, Pleasant said.
I absolutely love the people,” Pleasant said. “They make it easy to come to work. It’s more like a family and we really operate like a team.”
She said she is shocked and overwhelmed to receive the distinction.
“Sometimes, you think the work that you do goes unnoticed, so to be recognized for it really feels good,” Pleasant said. “I’m appreciative that they appreciate my efforts. It also helps me realize that what I do is making a difference.”
Formby serves as the Directed Energy-Maneuver Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD, deputy program manager. Having been with the program since its inception, his work was an instrumental part of the DE M-SHORAD prototype development and delivery. He led the technical effort to deliver three 50 kW-class laser weapon systems to the 4-60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in January 2023.
“It has been incredible to see the progress of the DE M-SHORAD program,” Formby said. “I have been able to see it go from a concept on paper to actual prototypes in the hands of Soldiers. Not many people get the chance to do that in their careers, and I consider myself very fortunate to have had that opportunity with the DE M-SHORAD program.”
Formby led his team to a disciplined execution of the DE M-SHORAD Combat Shoot-off of a prototype platform, by 5-5 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, from Fort Sill. He led the design of combat vignettes, designed to add rigor to the Combat Shoot-off demonstration process. This ultimately helped set the system’s baseline capabilities and limitations of the prototype.
Formby said he is honored to receive the distinction of Civilian of the Year.
“I like a lot of things about my job but the best part is providing a capability to the Soldiers and the people that I get to work with,” Formby said. “The DE M-SHORAD team is awesome and I am really fortunate to work with such a great group to put new capabilities in the hands of the warfighter.”
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2024 16:08 |
| Story ID: | 464922 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 299 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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