The Quiet Professionals: USAG-HI supports deployment cycle
February 28, 2011
WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii - U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii provides support services, installation facilities, family housing, training and recreational centers for more than 94,000 Soldiers, family members, civilians employees and retirees stationed on Oahu and the Big Island.
Headquartered at Wheeler Army Airfield, USAG-HI's sustainable services directly support the deployment cycle, aiming to meet current and future mission requirements, safeguard human health, improve quality of life and enhance the natural environment for joint warfighters, their families and the military community.
Army Hawaii Soldier Housing
ASH is the contracted company that serves as the property manager for all barracks spaces within the garrison. The Housing Division's Unaccompanied Personnel Housing section in the Directorate of Public Works has overall responsibility of barracks management before, during and after a deployment.
At 30 days prior to a Soldier's deployment, ASH schedules a pre-termination inspection of his or her barracks room to identify any areas that need action. On the Soldier's scheduled departure date, ASH performs a final check-out inspection and, if applicable, the Soldier is cleared to deploy. If a Soldier is unwilling or unable to be cleared, applicable administrative actions are taken.
While deployed, ASH works with the unit's rear detachment personnel to ensure empty barracks rooms are clean and unoccupied, with no maintenance issues. These inspections enable the rooms to be ready for when the unit redeploys.
When a unit redeploys, ASH assigns Soldiers rooms based on input from the unit. Upon return, each Soldier gets briefed on how to submit work orders if anything needs maintenance and security measures in his or her new room.
Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation
DFMWR provides support services and training to Soldiers and their family members throughout pre-deployment, deployment and post-deployment phases. Deployment support deliveries include a multitude of programs designed to address the five pillars of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program for both Soldiers and families, including child care services and Army Community Service programs.
With its robust mobilization and deployment readiness program, DFMWR is able to offer a multitude of training to deploying units customized to a unit's individual needs.
Spouses and families of deployed Soldiers are invited to take part in the award-winning Blue Star Card program, a discount and activity program. As well, training is provided for family readiness assistants and groups on a monthly and quarterly basis, respectively, so they can better enhance the flow of information and increase the resiliency of their unit's Soldiers and their families.
Read more about how DFMWR supports Soldiers and families during deployments at www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com/dfmwr-deployment.
Directorate of Logistics
DOL civilian and contractor teams support the tactical warfighter during periods of pre-deployment, deployment and during re- and post-deployment phases.
Prior to deployment, DOL equips warfighters with mandatory organizational clothing items as dictated by the Department of the Army. DOL also transports all equipment and deploying Soldiers to local waterways or airports for further transport to their final destination.
During the 90-days leading up to deployment, the DOL coordinates use of contactor dining facility support to allow the warfighter to better prepare for deployment. Lastly, DOL coordinates storage of all personal effects and privately owned vehicles for single Soldiers desiring storage.
When Soldiers are deployed, DOL begins repairing the tactical equipment that is left behind and not used by the warfighter. Once deployments are complete, the returning equipment and Soldiers are transported from ports of debarkation to the installation.
During the reintegration phase, personal effects and POVs are delivered back to returning single Soldiers. The left-behind equipment is apportioned back to the unit, and the equipment that is returning from war is "reset" and issued back to units for training.
Once stabilization has occurred, DOL assists Soldiers in getting to their next duty stations, with transportation arrangements, and reconciles organizational clothing items issued to Soldiers when they first arrived.
Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security
DPTMS's Battle Command Training Center at Schofield Barracks provides facilities and staff to support deploying units' battle command training programs and brigade-level full-spectrum exercises.
Technical support includes extending connections from the Joint Training and Experimentation Network to the BCTC's network distribution infrastructure, assisting in using fiber connections between communications rooms, and assigning voice over Internet protocol phones, switches, Internet service provider drops and DSN phone lines. Exercises train deploying brigades and validate their readiness for deployment.
DPTMS's Training Support Center provides humvee egress assistance; mine resistant ambush protected, or MRAP, egress; engagement skills; and MRAP driver training for deploying units. In addition, the TSC provides tactical improvised explosive device, or T-IED, and IED effects simulation training devices, along with resuscitation mannequins and war-wound moulage kits to give realism to unit training.
The TSC also provides medical training via the Medical Simulation Training Center, plus a wide variety of training aids, devices and graphic training aides.
DPTMS also mans, maintains and operates the training ranges.
Soldier Training Division
During a unit's reset cycle, when they are at the home unit gearing up for future deployments, the Soldier Training Division provides classroom support and access to the Digital Training Management System for all units at the brigade and battalion level. Military training teams are formed and administer any training the unit needs, such as Advance Leaders Course, for a number of military occupational specialties, or MOS; Short Range Marksmanship, Sniper, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leader courses; High Risk Personnel Security Course; and Joint Fires Operations Course.
DTMS managers are able to align a unit and its personnel, prior to a deployment, by using the Soldier Training Division's digital systems.
Installation Security Office
Prior to a unit's deployment, Installation Security Office staff work with the unit's intelligence section, or S2, to proactively identify security clearance requirements for deploying Soldiers. Upon receipt of unit identification codes of deploying units, the ISO provides security rosters to cognizant S2s, allowing them to identify clearance/investigation shortfalls and submit investigation requests to the ISO.
The ISO places top priority on processing investigation requests for deploying Soldiers and makes every effort to have at least interim clearances in place prior to a Soldier's deployment. For those Soldiers already in theater for whom a clearance/investigation requirement emerges, the ISO communicates with the unit S2 and applicants via telephone, e-mail and physical mail to complete security clearances.
When a unit returns from deployment, the ISO continues to work with units to satisfy periodic reinvestigation requirements that were permitted to be delayed up to 90 days from redeployment.
Directorate of Public Works
DPW is responsible for sustaining, restoring and modernizing most of the facilities Soldiers live, work and play in. During a unit's deployment, DPW is committed to providing the best facilities possible within the resources and guidance provided for Soldiers.
Taking advantage of the deployment cycle, DPW plans renovations and upgrades to coincide with when the unit is away. Hence, when the unit redeploys, most Soldiers are greeted with better living and working conditions. This practice ensures a better quality of life in the barracks and work areas for Soldiers, better preparing them for future deployments.
Island Palm Communities
Choosing to stay with IPC while a spouse is deployed is the best choice a family member can make. To assist families during deployments, IPC offers the following benefits to its residents:
--Maintenance Support. Bought a new entertainment center' Need help putting new furniture together' Let the IPC maintenance team assist you during your spouse's absence.
--Child Care. IPC provides five hours of child care, per child, on the third Saturday of each month for spouses of deployed service members.
--Lawn Care. IPC will mow your fenced-in backyard while your spouse is deployed.
--Resident Events. Stay involved in the community during your spouses' deployment. IPC staff members organize monthly events for adults and children.
If family members want to sign up for post housing deployment benefits, they only need to bring a copy of the spouse's deployment orders or their DFMWR Blue Star Card to thei community center. IPC staff will sign them up immediately.
Visit www.islandpalmcommunities.com for more details.
Office of the Staff Judge Advocate
The 8th Theater Sustainment Command and garrison's OSJA provide ongoing legal support to deployed and deploying Soldiers and their families. In addition to deploying legal support forward with the command, OSJA supports deploying forces through its Client Services Office.
The Client Services Office provides attorneys who brief single Soldiers, married Soldiers and their spouses on legal issues, such as powers of attorney, wills, advance medical directives, claims, child custody, family care plan issues, the Servicemember's Civil Relief Act and federal tax extensions.
OSJA also provides legal briefings. At these briefings, OSJA members staff information tables where Soldiers and family members receive answers to general questions about pre-deployment legal topics. Upon request, OSJA also presents deployment and re-deployment briefings to company-sized elements for Soldiers and family members.
Deploying Soldiers receive first priority services and appointments at the Legal Assistance Office, located in Building 2037, Schofield Barracks, and Building 718, Fort Shafter.
Pohakuloa Training Area
PTA has served as a U.S. military training area on the Big Island of Hawaii since World War II. Through the years, PTA's ranges and training areas have helped Army, Marine, Air Force and Navy units maintain their combat readiness and prepare for deployments.
In addition to being a prime training area for military forces in the Pacific region, PTA is a vanguard of environmental and cultural protection. It's Natural and Cultural Resources staff is dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered and threatened plants and safeguarding cultural resources at PTA.
(Editor's Note: This article appeared in the Feb. 25 edition of the Hawaii Army Weekly, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii's post newspaper, as a double-truck feature. View the entire issue at http://www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com/full-issues/2011/20110225.pdf.)