CASCOM HR Specialists gather for quarterly forum
Led by Lt. Col. Ana Garcia, CASCOM G-1 chief, Military Personnel, the purpose of the quarterly Human Resources forum is to bring together military and civilian HR professionals from across CASCOM and Fort Lee to strengthen technical proficiency, share critical personnel and policy updates, improve communication, and build a stronger HR community.
“A key part of the forum is bringing our HR professionals together with the installation agencies and partners they routinely work with, including the Military Personnel Division (MPD), Fort Lee Army Military Pay Office (AMPO), Career Counselors, Army Reserve and Army National Guard liaisons,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jaime Diaz, CASCOM G-1 HR technician. “These organizations provide current information on policies, processes, emerging issues, and changes that directly affect Soldiers and HR operations.
“Behind every successful combat mission stands a dedicated Human Resources team that operates behind the scenes to safeguard warfighter readiness,” said Diaz. “HR professionals deliver the operational peace of mind warfighters need.”
The forum allows HR professionals to stay current, learn from one another, and develop a shared understanding of how personnel programs should be executed across the formation.
“The previous forums have had a very positive impact by strengthening communication between the units and servicing agencies, creating opportunities for networking, helping identify and resolve common issues, and giving HR Soldiers points of contact they can reach back to after the forum,” said Master Sgt. Alireza Vaziri, CASCOM G-1 HR non-commissioned officer.
The featured speaker at the August forum was Chief Warrant Officer 5 Nicholas Laferte, CASCOM Command Chief Warrant Officer.
“With our HR representatives, what you do every day is you actually combat the systemic stress of Soldiers, and we don't talk about that,” said Laferte. “What keeps people in the Army? What keeps people happy? Definitely getting paid; definitely getting promoted; it's the PAR (personnel actions request) getting processed.
“All the personnel actions that go through everything that you touch on a daily basis is someone's most important thing that they're going through in their life, and we don't recognize that enough, and we don't talk about it enough,” he said. “A high school stabilization is just another action to a lot of people, but to the person requested, that is the most important thing that they're going through in that season of their life because they're trying to take care of their family in a manner that is contrary to the standard operating procedures for the Army”.
“On behalf of the command, the commanding general, and the entire CASCOM team, we appreciate everything you do every single day, and we want to shine the spotlight just a little bit brighter on our HR reps, because you guys are absolutely amazing,” said the command CWO.
Approximately three months ago, CASCOM G-1 initiated a Best Battalion S-1 competition to encourage attention to detail, improve personnel readiness, and recognize high-performing HR teams. The winning organization was determined by the lowest average delinquency/error rate across all six categories looked at: DD93 (Record of Emergency Data) Timeliness, SGLV (Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance) Compliance, BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) Recertification, Failure to Lose from Rolls (FTL), Personnel Slotting, and Assignment Expiration Report Management, providing an objective measure of overall HR readiness.
The winner of this quarter’s competition was the 832nd Ordnance Battalion S-1 led by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Conaway, which achieved an exceptional average delinquency/error rate of 1.97 percent, outperforming the next closest organization by more than two percentage points.
"As 42A Human Resources professionals, your role extends far beyond processing routine transactions, you are direct enablers of warfighter readiness and lethality,” said Sgt. Maj. Tenish Moore, CASCOM G1 sergeant major. “Thank you for what you do on a daily basis; it does not go unnoticed. I challenge each of you to take the technical proficiency, regulatory expertise, and policy mastery gained here and integrate it directly into your formations to strengthen our units from within."
Many in attendance find the quarterly forum worthwhile, Sgt. 1st Class Corey Lott, 244th Quartermaster Battalion S1 section, said “it's a centralized way to enforce standards, number one; number two, it drives home, if nothing else, posts, directives, and what we need to be doing and accomplishing in the HR world; and three, it keeps us updated on everything that is going on, any new information that could have been missed.”
HRU provides three important opportunities in one forum: professional development, collaboration with the servicing agencies, and recognition of excellence across the HR community. The next forum is scheduled for November.
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