Photo By Jon Connor | Dr. Lonnie Mason, chief, G2’s (Intelligence & Security) Security Division and...... read more read more
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – He started out at an entry-level position and has climbed the ladder making it as a supervisor in security. The tall climb he experienced at the U.S. Army Sustainment Command has been rewarding but challenging at times as Dr. Lonnie Mason rose throughout his career.
Mason's hard work, education, mentorship, and the reasonable workplace accommodations he received have propelled him to his current role as a GS-14 Security Division chief overseeing all intelligence security functions at ASC. In the GS – general schedule – there are 15 grades, with GS-1 being the lowest and GS-15 being the highest.
Mason’s 15-year journey had him staring out as a GS-5 Army Civilian intern in 2009 with Rock Island Arsenal working in security, U.S. Army Garrison. The following year Mason came to ASC as a GS-7 working in G2 (Intelligence and Security). At ASC, Mason has served as an action officer, team lead, and served overseas while deployed as a brigade and battalion security manager within ASC, managing all Career Program-35 security programs.
The core mission of CP-35 is intelligence — collecting, processing, reporting, analyzing evaluating, interpreting, and disseminating information.
In 2015, Mason became ASC’s G2 security officer. His duties include management of the G2 Security Division’s four branches of Information Security, Personnel Security, Industrial Security, and Intelligence Security Operations. In doing so, he manages 16 other people.
After graduation from high school Mason joined the Marine Corps in 1998 as a cannon crewman. Mason said it was a good decision as he didn’t believe he was destined for post-high school education.
“I chose the Marine Corps because it was a more challenging path and at the time in my family’s history, none of my relatives had served in the Marines…always the Army, Army Air Corps, and later Air Force,” he explained of his service selection.
Due to sustained feet injuries, Mason was unable to continue serving in the Marines and received an honorable discharge after two years of service.
Mason eventually worked for the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Department, and then laterally transferred to the Muscatine Police Department. It was then he was also influenced by his law enforcement supervisors to pursue more education to advance his career. In 2007, he was retired from the force as a corporal.
One key factor in his rise it turned out was accomplishing higher education.
Hence, he graduated from Muscatine Community College with an associate degree (liberal arts) and a yearning for higher education.
“I realized within the first year of the program that although the school had been challenging to me, it was something I excelled at when I applied myself. I also realized I enjoyed learning for learning’s sake.”
That degree planted the seed for more education – a bachelor’s (business) and master’s (organizational leadership) – both from St. Ambrose University.
Mason then achieved a doctorate degree (organizational leadership) from Piedmont International University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
“I pursued and achieved four academic degrees because it challenged me, and I grew from every achievement,” Mason explained.
Despite success in the academic field, his past kept itself in his present life through various medical issues from his military service. And, it turned out he needed to improve his speaking voice as some people said it was sometimes loud and “abrasive.” Mason, however, never meant that nor was aware of this until told.
Based on information he received, Mason learned that a service dog can do things such as paw at him or even jump up at him if he is getting too loud to let Mason know to tone it down, or if he is “rambling” on during a conversation.
The federal government has regulations and policies in place to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities such as a service dog. Accommodations should make it easier for the employee to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Initially, Mason said he scoffed at the idea of a service dog, but after nearly 18 months of research, and motivated by the negative side effects of his medication he was on, he decided to apply for one.
To accept a service dog, Mason had to take several tests and attend a two-week school. Upon completion, he received a 15-month-old golden retriever named Jacie.
Jacie is just what Mason needed and had served him well for nearly eight years until her death of cancer this summer. Sold on the program, Mason will receive a new service dog soon.
Also supporting Mason along his time in G2 was his rater, Greg Anderson.
Anderson is G2’s deputy of Intelligence and Security. He is now in his 51st year working for the federal government as a retired Soldier and for 27 years now as an Army Civilian.
Mason said two of the things he learned from Anderson was simply doing the right thing and taking care of people.
“Dr. Mason’s successful career can be directly attributed to his hard work, and his willingness to find solutions that actually helped people solve their problems,” Anderson said.
When it came to difficult challenges, Mason’s viewpoint centered on a straightforward thought, and that was “If you have a problem, you gain nothing by waiting,” Anderson explained.
“Dr. Mason advocated a simple belief that if you wanted to accomplish a task or job you could always find a way to get it done, and if you did not want to do the work then you would just find a reason or excuse,” Anderson said.
“That reasonable accommodation and mentoring has turned into an avenue for folks in our command to get help,” Mason said.
Mason added he encourages today’s youth to consider working for the armed forces, in uniform or as a Civilian, because of the programs, policies, and opportunities available to federal personnel.
Misconceptions about the federal career opportunities tend to make younger people shy away from them, Mason said. These include not knowing about the career stability, the camaraderie and support that is available for one’s development, that an employee can influence leaders’ decisions, being able to acquire reasonable accommodations, and the fear of not being able to obtain a security clearance.
“It can easily be done. It’s just a matter of correspondence and answering those questions,” he said, of filling out a security clearance application.
As Mason has illustrated through initiative, hard work, education, and experience, advancement in the workplace is very possible despite the challenges that life brings. And working for the Army and ASC can be very beneficial to those starting out with an eye toward a successful career.
| Date Taken: | 10.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.29.2024 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 484162 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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