Deployment Questions & Answers
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What does it mean to “activate” the Corps? |
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OFRD defines Activation as a 4 step process;
A request for assistance is received by OFRD in response to
OFRD then submits a formal request for activation and briefs the Surgeon General regarding the situation. If the Surgeon General concurs, the request for activation is sent to the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) who has the delegated authority under Commissioned Corps Directive 121.02 to activate the Corps for deployment. Identification of assets involves OFRD matching the needs of the mission with the skills and qualifications of officers on the on-call response teams and Tier 3 ready roster then teams and individual officers are identified. The final step in the activation process is deployment. Agencies and officers are contacted, supervisory release is obtained, travel authorizations and arrangements are made, and the officer is deployed. Efforts should be made to obtain supervisory release, but depending on the nature of the public health emergency and resource needs, there may be times when supervisory release is not obtained (e.g., during the recent hurricane response). The activation process will follow these four steps regardless of whether the public health need is small and localized or a national disaster. Depending on the need, notification of officers can vary from name-selecting a small cadre of officers to the entire month’s response teams and ready roster or the entire Commissioned Corps, as the Secretary did with Hurricane Katrina and Rita. For the individual officer this means getting prepared using the pre-deployment checklist (OFRD website), notifying one’s supervisor of the situation and that deployment may be forthcoming, standing by at one’s normal duty station for further instructions and responding to those instructions quickly and directly. There is no formal deactivation of the Corps since activation is simply a process to deploy officers. Return of the officers with no further requests for assistance would end the process for that event. |
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What is the current definition of a “deployment?" (What are the criteria for an activity to be recognized by OFRD as a deployment? Does activity have to be an emergency response or does any PH activity in the field apply such as an Epi-Aid? Is there a minimum time (i.e., 7 days) required? Does the person who backfills for someone else who is deployed also count as a deployment if it is outside usual scope of work for that person? Do you have to be ‘basic ready’ to be deployed or just to have it count as an official deployment?). What does recognition by OFRD really mean? |
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Commissioned Corps deployments are defined in policy by Commissioned Corps Directive 121.02 (CCD 121.02). CCD 121.02 defines specific activities and criteria that constitute a Corps deployment and further states that only the Secretary (or as delegated to the Assistant Secretary for Health) may activate the Corps for deployment. For the activity to be recognized by OFRD as a Corps deployment, an approved activation by the ASH is required. Therefore, Epi-Aids and other PHS activities in the field do not currently meet the criteria as a Corps deployment. However, as noted in Q 3, the only place that OFRD-activities are tracked is in the OFRD database, and this data is not available for review by the Promotion Board. When the Corps is activated for a deployment, all officers deployed regardless if they deployed through the agency or OFRD, may be eligible for USPHS awards related to that deployment. as long as they satisfy all of the requirements for that award(e.g., wearing of the uniform, time deployed, basic readiness, outside normal job function, etc.). The person who backfills for a ‘deployed’ person, even if that person is doing work outside his/her usual scope of work, cannot have that time counted as a deployment. However, those officers may be considered for separate recognition of those services rendered. Officers are required to be in compliance with the basic force readiness standards. Membership eligibility on Corps response teams and deployment eligibility both require compliance with basic force readiness as a matter of policy. The Secretary (and as delegated to the ASH) may waive certain compliance standards in unique situations. Additionally, the Surgeon General through OFRD may make appropriate operational decisions regarding the components of basic force readiness that would allow an officer to deploy while not in a current state of compliance. For example, a recently expired APFT might be waived for deployment purposes given that the officer was previously in compliance. The converse of that is also true. OFRD might not allow an officer who is in compliance with basic force readiness to deploy if there is a reasonable operational restriction. For example, an officer who was in compliance with force readiness by virtue of a medical waiver might not be suitable for a given operational missions. That officer would not deploy even though in compliance with the basic readiness standard. |
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What potential credit is available for deployment? (Are deployments included as one of the Benchmarks for promotion? What awards can officers earn during deployments?) |
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Currently, there is no official credit given for participating in a deployment. A deployment does not contribute specifically as a benchmark for promotion but may be viewed favorably by the Promotion Board. Even though an OFRD deployment is recorded in the OFRD database, the promotion board does not have access to this during their review. All deployments (OFRD and agency specific) should be listed on the Officer’s Curriculum Vitae. When the Corps is activated for a deployment, all officers deployed regardless if they deployed through the agency or OFRD, may be eligible for USPHS awards related to that deployment. as long as they satisfy all of the requirements for that award(e.g., wearing of the uniform, time deployed, basic readiness, outside normal job function, etc.). For example, all deployed Officers to the DEOC for Hurricane Katrina (not just those deployed through OFRD) were eligible for the CRSA award. There are 3 Service Awards that officers can earn during deployment. This may occur as part of a Corps deployment where the Corps has been activated. In addition, an OpDiv (e.g. CDC) can petition the Surgeon General to designate other major public health responses to be authorized as crisis response Commissioned Corps deployments. See a Global Response Service Award_Deployment Memo_Final. Officers participating in such deployments are also eligible for these service awards, which include:
In addition, the Field Medical Readiness Badge (FMRB) (See CC 27.1.1, Section 6-7i for details, http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/CCPM27_1_1.pdf) recognizes officers who have met criteria beyond the required basic force readiness standards. One of the requirements for the FMRB is for an officer to have participated in Corps deployments (minimum of 7 days total within the last 3 years). |
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How do I get an Agency (i.e. CDC) deployment designated as a Corps deployment? |
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Officers who would like to have an Agency deployment designated as a Corps deployment in order to meet eligibility requirements for one of the four awards listed above can submit a memo to the Office of the Surgeon General, through the CDC/ATSDR Commissioned Corps Personnel Team, asking that the deployment be designated as an approved activation. These deployments must be in response to a major public health event, and so many Epi-Aids, HHE’s and other “routine” field studies will not be designated as approved activations. See a Global Response Service Award_Deployment Memo_Final. Contact your Staff Specialist in CDC’s Commissioned Corps Office if you need help writing this memo. Once the deployment is designated as an approved activation by the Surgeon General, you then submit that documentation with the awards package as part of the awards nomination process. |
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As COs, who are we ultimately responsible to and when? (Are we responsible to PHS vs program and do different rules apply when the Corps is activated or a public health emergency is declared?) |
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As CO in PHS, we are ultimately responsible to the Surgeon General, and should abide by all rules and directives put out by PHS. During an OFRD deployment, an Officer would report through the designated Incident Command System chain of command (e.g., to his/her OFRD Team Leader, the IRCT Commander if available, or possibly directly back to OFRD Headquarters). During a CDC deployment an Officer may be accountable to a team leader (other than the official supervisor). Guidance from your team leader or direct supervisor should not conflict with PHS directives. If a conflict occurs during a CDC deployment or mission in which your team leader or direct supervisor may not be a CO, there may be circumstances where an immediate supervisor provides guidance in conflict with OFRD (e.g., regarding uniform wear while on duty). In those circumstances, officers should follow guidance as issued by direct supervisors and/or team leaders while deployed, and relate this back to the Corps agency liaison on your return. Efforts are underway to educate non-Corps supervisors in a standardized way regarding the Commissioned Corps, including Officer responsibilities and requirements at work and while deployed. |
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What is the uniform policy for CDC deployments?
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The Surgeon General is the Uniform Authority for the Nation and determines the uniform requirements in conformance with USPHS uniform guidelines. The uniform requirements are not different if the Corps is activated, unless a specific directive comes out from the Surgeon General. Officers should expect to wear the working khaki uniform during a deployment unless directed otherwise by the SG through OFRD. Team leaders who have been designated as Local Uniform Authorities during a deployment may direct officers to wear specific uniforms or indicate the manner of wear of uniforms (e.g., deblousing, sleeve rolling) within the uniform guidelines established by the SG. Officers should follow guidance from Team Leaders if there is a discrepancy and later report any problems to CAPT Cline. BDUs may be specified for certain deployments(e.g., harsh environmental or weather conditions), but there are currently no policy requirements for an Officer to have or wear BDUs during a deployment. Nevertheless, the SG may direct officers to wear BDUs or other appropriate uniforms while deployed. Officers assigned to Tier 1 and Tier 2 response teams are required to own BDUs. Other officers who want to have more deployment opportunities should have BDUs available. Officers who have questions about uniforms in deployments should contact the CDC/ATSDR Liaison, CAPT Cline. |
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What is the current definition of meeting “Mission Critical” status (formerly called Agency Roster, and how does it relate to the OFRD response teams and ready roster? (Is mission critical status just decided by your program? If you are listed as mission critical, are you protected from being deployed during “activation” or just protected from being on the OFRD response teams and ready roster?) |
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Officers listed as “Mission Critical” by their agency are identified by the Emergency Coordinators in conjunction with the Center and Coordinating Center directors (if applicable). If an officer is on the mission critical list, then he/she is subject to call by CC for response duty only in the event of a disaster or at the direction of the Secretary. Membership on the mission critical list is restricted to officers that meet any one of the following criteria:
Officers in these positions are considered to be in critical positions and/or have significant responsibilities and are therefore somewhat protected against being called for deployment. If an officer is on the mission critical list, then the officer will not be called by OFRD for deployment, unless the Secretary activates all officers in the Corps. Officers on the mission critical list are also not on the OFRD response teams or ready roster. Officers on the OFRD response teams and ready roster are on call every fifth month coordinated by the OFRD within OSG, and made aware what month they should be available for deployment. Information on which response team or roster an Officer is on is listed on the Officer Summary Page of the OFRD website. International officers are not on the response teams or ready roster. Questions regarding who is on the mission critical list should be directed toward the Emergency Coordinators in each center. OCCP is responsible for keeping the list for CDC/ATSDR and sharing it with OFRD. Officers should remind their supervisor of their duty month in the month prior to their response teams’ or ready roster’s on call month. This is a courtesy to give the supervisor time to plan for any staffing considerations. The Draft Deployment Understanding document (available at http://www.cdc.gov/od/occp/readiness/deployment/DeploymentUnderstanding.htm.) can be used for this purpose. Officers who are called for CC responses are expected to obtain supervisory release for deployment before notifying OFRD of their availability for the mission. |
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What are the guidelines for deploying in a role other than those that an officer self-identifies? (For example, when would the Corps deploy a nurse to serve in a clinical role when the person has selected “health educator”? Can there be a tiered approach to defining clinical roles? In general, are there plans to re-define current role definitions on the website (roles now not clear)? |
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Officers may currently self-identify multiple deployment roles. Officers have a responsibility to only select roles for which they can deploy and adequately perform the designated duties or roles for which they are actively training. Officers assigned to Tier 1 or Tier 2 response teams may additionally fill roles that are specific to that team. It is certainly possible that once deployed in the field, an officer may be asked or required to serve in a capacity that does not strictly meet the definition of the role that they have been deployed to serve. It is a hallmark of USPHS officers that they are flexible and adaptable in austere conditions and will meet the need. Nevertheless, an officer should never attempt to perform a role for which they are truly not qualified or capable of filling especially if by doing so life or property may be endangered. Officers have a responsibility to communicate such an issue immediately through their incident command system chain of command. In the future, the Corps will be phasing out self-identified deployment roles. Each officer will be required to provide additional information concerning their skills and expertise to create officer profiles. This will permit the identification of officers with specific skills sets needed for a particular deployment or other assignments. |
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What is the official policy regarding overseas officers getting deployed? |
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Overseas officers are considered mission critical. Therefore, overseas officers can volunteer for deployments but are currently not included on the OFRD response teams or ready roster. Overseas officers should not be on the OFRD response teams or ready roster, and CIOs should submit the names of officers in international assignments through OCCP to OFRD, and should make CAPT Cline aware of this issue. Domestic officers are called first to meet domestic public health needs. In cases where there is an overwhelming public health response need, overseas officers may be called to deploy. This policy relates to resources required to travel the officer and the usually lengthier time period for an overseas officer to arrive in the response destination. |
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How do we deal with people who remain in their office and work full time on a deployment as a subject matter expert in an area that is also their usual area of expertise? (Would someone who works in anthrax for their ‘real job’ but is now supervising an anthrax outbreak and remains in their office be considered deployed? Would someone who works part-time during a deployment but over an extended period of time be eligible for awards or recognition?) |
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Deployed in Place status is a scenario where an officer remains at his/her duty station or nearby office and is NOT on travel orders. A majority of the duties performed by the officer must be in support of and directly related to an ongoing OFRD or OpDiv deployment mission in which other officers are being physically deployed. The Deployed in Place status must last for at least 7 consecutive days. This definition will not include officers who are working extra hours to cover for the officers from their duty station who have been physically deployed. Agencies will be required to supply OFRD with the names and pertinent information of all Deployed in Place officers, thereby verifying their support of the mission(s) as directed by the Secretary. Agency or Corps recognition may be appropriate for Deployed in Place officers. |
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What are the CC readiness requirements? |
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The current CC basic readiness requirements for officers are available on the Commissioned Corps Issuance System (eCCIS) website and are defined by Instructions 812.04 (Manual Circular 377), 811.03 (PPM004-03), 811.06 (PPM004-06), Inst 811.26 ( PPM 2006-004), Inst 811.29 (PPM 2007-001), Inst 811.35 (PPM 2007-007), Inst 811.60 (PPM 2008-016). In brief, an officer must
There are no requirements for respiratory fitness testing for the basic readiness requirement. |