Tag: CAREERS

Here is my 30 second Army "Elevator Speech" (you know, the hypothetical "Here's what's important about me" pitch you would give to a stranger in the time it took you to get to where you were going on an elevator...): 

I'm an Army officer, a new mom, and come from a proud/humble family of patriots.  I earned my commission through Army ROTC at The University of Texas at Arlington in 1998 and was commissioned as an Adjutant General Corps officer.  Since then, I've served in such exotic locations as Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Hood, Texas; and all over Iraq.  I have truly learned that it doesn't matter where you are, but who you're with; I've been able to serve with some of the Army's best, which has made the journey all the better. 

My two younger brothers are also military officers: Brad is a Major in the Air Force, and Dave is a Lieutenant in the Navy.  My husband recently left the Army as a Major and now works as an Engineer.  My grandfather served as a Combat Engineer with the First Cavalry Division in the South Pacific during WWII.  Nothing made me more proud than to serve my company command time in the First Cavalry Division as well. 

I am currently the Battalion Executive Officer and Assistant Professor of Military Science back at my alma mater - I teach the Freshman Cadets and couldn't ask for a better job.  My husband and I recently welcomed our first child in May.  Being a leader of Soldiers has definitely prepared me for the challenges of motherhood.

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Hello, I am SFC William D. Howell a Career Management NCO for Human Resources personnel and I work at the Adjutant General School in the Proponent/Leader Development Division (P/LDD).

I’ve been in the Army for 15 years. I enlisted into the Army in 1994 and have been stationed at five different duty stations. I have served as a Human Resources Specialist, Human Resources Sergeant, Battalion Senior Human Resources Sergeant, and Brigade Chief Human Resources Sergeant. My last unit was the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas where I was deployed to Iraq twice. 

I am married to the love of my life and we have a daughter and two sons. I was born in Staten Island, NY although I grew up mostly in Oklahoma. My father was in the Coast Guard so we move around a little. I have two brothers (one older and one younger), a half brother (deceased), a step sister (deceased) and a step brother. I am a graduate of Oklahoma Junior College (now closed) and am currently working on my BA from Touro University. I was selected for promotion to Master Sergeant last October and am awaiting to pin on.

I am now working in the Proponent/Leader Development Division at the AG School at Fort Jackson, SC. I attended the Manpower and Force Management course (ASI A3) since we also deal with the Human Resources Structure. We are responsible for the development of all Human Resources Personnel. I enjoy my job very much and would not trade it for anything else. I will be blogging about my experiences in the Army and my life while in the Army.

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As an Army Band recruiter one of my responsibilities is to audition and inform musicians about the Army Bands. I have given dozens of auditions and enlisted many fine musicians into our program. This past week at our annual Army Bands Leadership Training I had a chance to speak to my first applicant who made it through basic training and arrived to the School of Music. A crowd of basic music course students were around our Army Bands recruiting booth and I was hoping that the trumpet player was there. As he emerged from the crowd of new soldiers I was proud to see that the civilian I gave an audition to in November 2008 with the long hair and dozens of questions was standing there in ACU’s with a fresh hair cut. I asked the big question, how has it been. He said it was great and told me about basic training using Army terms like team and leaders. I wished him the best and told him to email me to tell me more. The four other Army Bands Liaisons also spoke to the new musicians. I think we were the most popular group of people with the new soldiers because in most cases we were the first Army Musicians that they interacted with. I am very excited to be in this position of Army Band Liaison. When the job gets hard and you look down at the government cell and see 27 new voice mails and the inbox is maxed out from questions from applicants and recruiters, seeing that you have an effect on the future of the Army Bands makes me feel privileged to be in the position I am in. Life is good……..

SSG Derrick Reed, SSG Dan Engel, SFC Adrian Ramon, SSG Mark Lucero, SGT Ryan Westbrook. The Army Band Liaisons at the Army Band Leaders Training

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Hello again,

Well, it seems that (looking back at my other posts) that this is the MAJ Wooten Do it yourself BLOG. I am going to continue on that theme for a bit. So, I finally completed the garage, new work benches, paint, floor, ATTIC DOOR (love the TX flag there) the privacy fence was completed last week and the new windows showed up Saturday. The windows went well for the most part, except that two of them were 2 inches too tall and now I have a rather large piece of plywood covering the bed room (makes for a great "solar barrier") but my wife is not too happy.

So, projects continue, the fence looks awesome (photos attached), my garage is usable again (photos). The windows(photos), well, we will just have to see. The ones that fit work great and look great, and anything was better than the 40 year old ones that were in before. Those old ones were just falling apart and it cost a bunch to heat and cool the house. So I am hoping the new ones will save us some money in the long run.

I finally have a photo from my promotion, my son, Ty took the photo. My lovely wife pinned on my rank. As for the look on my face, can't tell you, maybe I was waiting for her to punch the rank the rank so it would stay. My mother was there and did a great job providing snacks and drinks for the whole unit after the ceremony. THANKS MOM!!

What else, OH, Army south! I am back on active duty temporarily as a Civil Affairs planning officer for Army South. Lucky for me that it is right down the road at Ft. Sam Houston. I have only been there a little over a week so I am still trying to take it all in and get settled in. So far it is very overwhelming all of the countries and missions that are ongoing and planned. Such a huge geographic area to deal with. The next project there for me is to learn Spanish!! I will have to let you all know how that works out. Maybe when I get better at the BLOGing and the Spanish I will do a Spanish and English version of my posts. I have an outstanding view from my office, all of Ft. Sam Houston and all the way to downtown San Antonio.

My civilian job and boss at The Home Depot, were not too happy about me leaving again for another year of duty, but they understood and were great about helping complete yet another Leave of Absence (LOA) So, I do need to thank them and give a hello to my buddies at the Live Oak, TX Home Depot (photo of me outside of MY Store)

Enough for now. Happy easter.

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Marketing Research & Analysis Team Accessions Command
Many people I meet ask me what I do and I have difficulty sometimes describing my current field and duties. So let me try to break down each word and relate it to my duties now and in the past. OPERATIONS is the most important word in the 4-block acronym, in that all we do I must relate it to current or future operations, put it in the context of the warfighter and the recommended actions that I am proposing so he/she can make a decision. There are many academic exercises that I do but I must address the “So what” and related to our operations or the meaning is lost. The one think that will happen with an ORSA analysis product is a leader (decision maker) will make a decision or a group of decisions related to our work. Some of the decisions adjust resources, adjust policies, and modify how we conduct business (recruit, fight, etc.), what we are equipped with or how to improve friction points within a system to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Sometimes the impact is immediate as in my current job with Accessions Command. I am the Marketing Research and Analysis Division Chief and the analysts in the division are responsible for research and analysis critical for recruiting enlisted and officers in the US Army. Key questions come up daily on how should we spend a dollar of marketing and on who, when and using what advertising media. The environment is very fluid because it involves people and the human dimension. Hard to keep up with the environment. In my world, I always say to my analysts, as I look out my window we need to answer these questions: 1) who is out there, 2) how far are they away are they (age), 3) how much information do they know about Army service, 4) how should I engage them and how do they receive information, 5) are they already very interested in Army service where marketing will have very little effect on them and 6) how eligible for service are they.

RESEARCH is the long-range actions of this specialty to either conduct, coordinate, lead or synergize projects to effectively in the near-term address the commanders’ questions and attempt to underpin critical decisions. If RESEARCH is the long-term then ANALYSIS is the short-term that takes the research and discretely and collectively packages a composite product that looks at the problem from multiple angles, venues and with multiple stakeholders then compensates for the constraints and limitations of the research and forms a set of recommendations that address the problem.

The SYSTEMS portion is what makes the ORSA community a little different than most other staff Officers. When we see a problem, we see a system of systems in which the problem is contained. We see flow, path and methodology which typically connect on multiple layers. Everything is part of a system and each system is part of a larger system. We would like to understand how it fits into the larger construct and the interdependencies so we can describe the impacts of our recommendations to the decision maker and provide synergistic problem solving (two or more birds, one stone concept).

Lastly, ANALYST is the descriptor that brings it all together by conducting analysis which mentioned before is the looking at the big picture by looking at adjacent activities, looking at the entire system and the effects of the decision on sub-systems, people and the organization and looking spatial and temporal considerations (actions down the road).

ORSA as a specialty has been around since World War II where it was born and the original ORSAs had to solve very difficult problems ranging from protecting aircraft, getting troops on shores, improving communication effectiveness and even solving enemy cryptographic ciphers. The ORSA community has since been militarized and imbedded in organizational staffs at the Corps, Divisions and Brigade levels to provide the commander the problem-solving capabilities necessary to be responsiveness and address critical combat related issues. Along with a set of civilian counter parts at the strategic and operational levels, the ORSA community makes an impact everyday at every level of the Army. The appetite for analysis has grown substantially in the last 5 years. Research and analysis drives decisions; data drives research an analysis ? ORSAs have the unique skills to produce the data, research and analysis. ORSA skills and tools have been refined over the past 50 years and each problem requires different skill and tools.

ORSA as a functionality for Officers may be assigned as a Captain but as branch identifier will be assigned as a Major. I was originally a Signal Officer and re-classed as an ORSA, which is functional area 49, as it is called. ORSAs are a small branch and managed with other operational branches such as Signal and Military Intelligence, all which provide operational support to the commander. The skills of ORSAs are so desired by commanders and staffs that recent force manpower requirements have assigned them to almost every level in the Army. My previous ORSA job was working on the 2017 Future Force concept from White Sands Missile Range as an analyst with projects ranging from munition composition, communication capability assessment, tactical procedures employment assessment and asset configuration evaluation for a force that doesn’t exist yet. However, the analysis allowed for these future concepts to be spun-out to the current force in Iraq to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and protection of current operations. My wife, also an ORSA, worked convoy procedures and weapon configurations while traveling, which increased the overall survivability and lethality of a convoy as these convoys were typically attacked because of their vulnerabilities.

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My name is Mark Lucero and for the past 8 ½ years I have served in the Army as a tuba player for the Army Band. I have been playing music since 6th grade and took an audition for the Army Band my senior year in high school. My brother, who is also in the Army Band, joined two years before I did and spoke so well about the program that I decided to take that leap into the military as a musician. I was interested in going to college but was not interested in sitting in a classroom for another 4 years. The Army seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to get some experience in music and make some money for college.

I attended basic training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina which was a major change of scenery coming from Los Angeles County. People always talked about humidity in the south, but nothing can prepare you for that feeling when you get off the bus in the peak of summer and you’re instantly drenched in sweat. Basic training was easy for me because I had the best support system anyone can have, my wife Aurora. Aurora always made sure I got a letter everyday and was my inspiration to do the best I can since the day we started dating our freshman year in high school till this day and everyday. I have always tried to be the best to make Aurora proud of me. Even in the early days of basic training I saw that the most visible recruit was the one holding the company guidon. So I made it my mission to hold that guidon for the graduation 8 weeks later so I would stand out so Aurora could see me. I accomplished this and every other task I set out to do in my military career.

After basic my first duty station was Ft. Bliss, Texas with the 62nd Army Band. I spent five years in El Paso and had great memories there and met the best NCOs in the band field to include my squad leader and life time mentor SFC Justin Ahrens. I stayed in El Paso most of my career until my move to Bamberg, Germany with the 1st Infantry Division. I loved my brief time in Europe and moved back to the states with the Division to Ft. Riley, KS. I am currently the Army Band Liaison for the First Recruiting Brigade, which carries the responsibility of auditioning musicians in the upper east coast for a position in the Army Band program. I feel like I have the best job in the Army because I get to talk about the career I love and have a hand in the future of the Army Band program. Life is good…

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The U.S. Army opened the Army Experience Center (AEC), a state-of-the-art educational facility where visitors can virtually experience many aspects of Army life. Located inside Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia, the 14,500-square-foot facility is the centerpiece of the Army Experience Pilot Program to test and evaluate new marketing strategies. The facility features a number of interactive simulations and online learning programs to inform visitors about the many Army careers, training and educational opportunities. AEC visitors will virtually experience the Army through hands-on interactive displays and educational technologies.

The AEC is a hub for education and community outreach programs. We have partnered with educational institutions to bring programs and interactive career resources to the Philadelphia area.

The AEC highlights how Soldiers are equipped with cutting-edge technologies to accomplish complex missions by putting visitors in the roles of Soldiers and providing them hands-on interaction with mission simulations. The experience allows participants to see how technology, training and teamwork combine to make the Army the world's premier land power.

Today's high-tech young men and women are continually bombarded with information about their world through a burgeoning social media environment. Accurate information about the military experience is often drowned out, or the information that does get through projects mixed messages or inaccuracies. The Army Experience Center provides hands-on virtual reality experiences and simulations for young men and women, their parents and other influencers to see, touch and learn firsthand what it means to be in the Army. In doing so, they are enabled to have fully informed and meaningful discussions about the Army and its many opportunities.

Inside the AEC
With a view toward a fun and engaging encounter, the high-tech experience includes real Soldiers leading visitors through Army equipment simulators, interactive installations and Army online education programs.

* Registration Area-All ages are allowed to visit the AEC, but to participate in AEC activities visitors must be at least 13. Many of the gaming activities are rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Visitors must register and provide their age and basic contact information, which will be used to send information about upcoming AEC events.

* Career Navigators-Visitors can use interactive career navigators to map out prospective careers in the Army. A number of videos showcase career paths.

* Simulator Area-Several simulators are located at our facility. Many are based on applications developed on the America's Army game platform.

They include:
- An Apache helicopter simulator in which a pilot and copilot experience the aircraft and its weapons systems.
- A Black Hawk helicopter simulator with four door-gunner positions.
- An armored HMMWV simulator with positions for a driver and several gunners.

* Gaming Arena-Visitors can play America's Army, the Army's official computer game, as well as other games (rated T for Teen). There will be a number of Xbox 360(r) consoles plus networked PCs for video games.

* Tactical Operations Center (TOC)-The TOC highlights Army career opportunities in communications, command and control, military intelligence and technology. A dual-purpose area, the TOC is used for group presentations and online education.

* Retail-Offers Army-branded merchandise and snacks.

* Cafe & Lounge-Area for hanging out or talking with Soldiers.

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Greetings all! I am Ron Tuczak and have been a Soldier in our great Army for over 26 years! Currently, I command the U.S. Army Mid Atlantic Recruiting Battalion growing our Army in New Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia Area.

I enlisted in the Army while still in High School in Livonia, Michigan in 1983. We were going through a recession as well and I wanted to chart my own life. I joined for college money and my signing bonus was $5! (My mom gave me money for a “snack” when my recruiter came by in his powder blue Ford Pinto and picked me up at 5:00 AM ). I enlisted for three years as a Military Policeman…. Little did I know how amazing my journey would be (or how long! 26 years and going strong!).

My first assignment out of training was in the 24th Infantry Division, 298th Military Police Company located at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. We conducted mainly law enforcement and since I was a Private, I worked a LOT of gate guard!

(posing for a cheesy MP photo 1983 – PVT Tuczak)

That said, I met some tremendous people… My 1st Squad Leader was SSG Joost. An ex-Ranger, he had to return to being an MP after he was injured during a live-fire. I could not have asked for a better “first leader” in the Army. He was physically fit, morally straight, disciplined and knew his stuff! More importantly, he took his NCO duty of developing us Privates very seriously and I owe much of my career success to him.

While on my first assignment I was selected to deploy to Grenada as part of Urgent Fury 1984. This was very exciting for me as we were part of the post-invasion police force stabilizing the Island. After convoying to Ft Bragg, North Carolina and linking up with the 16th Military Police Brigade we flew down on C141s Air Force aircraft. An amazing experience as I was impressed with the level of responsibility given to me as I drove around St George and Grand Ans with my Royal Grenadian Police partner in my ¼ Ton Army Jeep - the wild life, the Island breeze, the Jungle – all very vivid and incredible. We thought we were so “cool” when the Van Halen song Panama played we would shout “Grenada!” That is what makes this Army so good – the people and camaraderie! The roads challenged me regularly as I never really drove a stick shift before I joined the Army. I got good at it after a lot of gear grinding. Another great thing about the Army -the experiences and knowledge gained. I am not saying you will be MacGyver when you get out but …. You definitely will know how to take care of yourself and others.

(young PV2 Tuczak deploys to Grenada – May 1984)

As you recall, I mentioned I entered the Army for college money out of Michigan. Well, Grenada and my next assignment to South Korea solidified my career goals. I did very well in Korea and again, a common theme here, ran into some exceptional leaders and mentors. SFC Crum was my Platoon Sergeant and I started to make some rank, Staff Sergeant in 4 years, and was placed into some leadership positions. That is when I decided to make the leap and make the Army a career. I applied for and was accepted for a Green-to-Gold ROTC Scholarship at San Diego State University. I can definitely talk at length later if you want on this process as it has not changed much.

Ultimately, I received my Commission as an MP Second Lieutenant in May 1990 and following MP Officer Training and Ranger School (The Ranger Instructors did not really appreciate me attending as an MP at their school so I kept that on the down-low!), I found myself leading a platoon during Operation Promote Liberty in the Republic of Panama.

(a unique experience of actually transiting the Miraflores Lock in Panama!)

I hate to keep saying how exciting, and great, and amazing my experiences are but … they are! In Panama, I learned to Scuba dive - Basic and Advanced, ran a relay race across the Isthmus (3 times!), traveled to many countries, and truly saw how amazing our Nation is.

(me jumping in El Salvador – Airborne!)

While in Panama, I had the distinct opportunity to, once again, work for some amazing people and this time, it was for a couple Generals. I was their Aide-de-Camp. This job kept me busy as I traveled to nearly every country in Latin America as the command I was assigned to, United States Army South, had a major role in the Theater to provide engagement with these various struggling democracies. It was during these trips that my career took a sudden shift.

All throughout my travels I kept running into Soldiers at various embassies in various countries. I would be surprised to even think we had a single Soldier in Guatemala, or Belize, or Uruguay, etc… you get the picture. These Soldiers were Green Berets - Special Forces Officers and NCOs leading some of the most interesting and demanding Missions. I did my research, applied, was selected, trained and earned my Green Beret! I’ll discuss some of this training in future postings.

(live fire shoothouse FT Bragg, NC)

(then CPT Tuczak and 1LT Pedro Cruz, Portugese Special Forces at “Q” Course Graduation)

My time in the Army also rewarded me with two great children. My son is 10 years old now and he wants to be a Soldier too! We shall see but, I would be honored if he joined our profession as I have already advised and thanked many parents in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

(daughter Sasha and son Logan, Spring 2004 Alexandria, Virginia)

(a distinct honor for me, as then MAJ Tuczak reenlists a Soldier in Afghanistan)

I’ll wrap this intro up by stating how, as you may have seen in the photos above and throughout the post, the uniforms I have worn in the Army have changed. However, the core values of the Army and the most important thing that makes our Army so important has not. The term Army Strong draws its strength from the very fabric that makes our Nation great … its people. I look forward to chatting with you.

(throwing out the 1st pitch at a Phillies game on the Army Birthday 2007)

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It’s been three weeks since I’ve had a chance to write – and even now I feel like I’m not giving you all my attention. Just after Valentine’s Day, I left the family at home for a while and hit the road for my last Field Screening Officer trip. I headed to New York City – my old stomping grounds from law school days – and visited New York University School of Law and Brooklyn Law School. I also spent a full day with the guys at the Army Recruiting Station on 6th Avenue (at 22nd Street); they were kind enough to host me during a full day of interviewing practicing attorneys looking for a change of pace.

It was great to be back in ‘The City’ and I was seriously impressed with the caliber of applicants we’re getting for the selection board set to meet this month. I conducted interviews almost non-stop for three days before heading home, and I was absolutely exhausted when I got back. Of course my wife was exhausted, too, from a full week of single-parenthood and we’d barely gotten ourselves back together over the weekend when I was off again for three days.

My second trip was down to Charlottesville, Virginia, to The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. This is in many ways the home of the JAG Corps. Every Judge Advocate will spend time there during their career – first doing initial training (Officer Basic Course), then later as a mid-grade officer (Officer Graduate Course) getting an LL.M., and periodically for CLEs and other short courses (1-2 weeks long; things like the Criminal Law Advocacy Course). I was there as part of a small group talking about the future of the JAG Corps’ knowledge management program. We’re looking at ways to make the sharing of information, experience, and expertise, easier and more tied to our daily practice. What I realized from our three days of brainstorming is that in many ways the JAG Corps is doing some very good things, and we’ve got the ability to do even more.

I talk with applicants all the time about the three things that make a legal practice in the JAG Corps stand out – the people/clients, ownership of the practice, and mentorship – and effective knowledge management tools and practices not only make us all better lawyers, it also enhances our already robust culture of mentorship. That’s something that’s really special and, I think, sets us apart from just about any other legal business around.

So what’s the milestone? Well, the 1st of March saw the closing of our first online application window in support of our Summer Intern and Active Duty Selection Boards. The response was great and (despite some hiccups) everything seems to have gone pretty smoothly. No we just have to get through the selection boards to really see what we’ve got.

Now I’m back in the office, drowning in paper, but happy to be back.

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Currently, I am on an airplane to Tennessee so I have a few hours to blog. I won’t take the whole time. I know that I have told you a little about my career in the Army. I am going to spend this blog time discussing my current job.

I am the GME liaison to the Surgeon General. Sounds good, but what does that mean? I travel to undergraduate programs and medical schools explaining the benefits of HPSP (scholarship where the Army pays for medical school). Short story: The army pays for any accredited US medical school no matter the tuition, books, fees, health insurance (if school requires it), and pays a monthly stipend which is currently 1900 dollars a month.

When I say this, most people say ok, but what is the catch? What does the Army get? Smart people always know that you don’t get something for nothing. The Army gets a well-trained doctor to take care of soldiers, dependents and retirees for approximately 4 years. At the end of your obligation, you can stay in or get out and be a civilian doctor. You could be essentially debt free (from medical school debt) after serving just 4 years as an active duty doctor.

If you would like additional information, you can email me at Clorinda.zawacki@amedd.army.mil.

I think I will close for now and send another blog next week.

Have a wonderful day.

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