By Holly DeCarlo-White
USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Office
The Career Program 26 – Manpower and Force Management Proponency Office Roadshow visited U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Sept. 20 on Patch Barracks.
CP26 is one of the Army’s centrally managed civilian career programs aligned under the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, and is based in the Pentagon. CP26 management analysts work in a variety of organizations such as resource management, plans and training, documentation, and management engineering at installations and major commands across the Army.
The purpose of the roadshow is to inform CP26 careerists in USAG Stuttgart about the importance of manpower and force managers within the Army. As resource managers, CP26 careerists play an integral role in developing, designing and resourcing the Army’s Operating and Generating forces.
Although the event was hosted by the CP26 office, the information presented during the day-long roadshow was applicable and open to all 31 types of civilian professions. Topics focused on civilian professional development, education, and advice on how to take charge of your career.
Beryl Hancock, CP26 Proponency Office chief said that civilians sometimes don’t get all the information on what is available to them within their offices. The roadshow enabled civilians to have in-person interaction, question and answer sessions, and one-on-one career counseling on the spot.
Civilians can find which career program number they are a part of within their position description.
“From administrative to functional skills, to stretching yourself – what I call Career Yoga, it is important to learn how to build your breadth and depth of experience. My point is to try and shake people up,” Hancock said.
Whether you are a new or seasoned employee, careerists should think about what will take them to the next level. Hancock encourages all professionals to ask themselves, “What do I need to do in order to grow, personally and professionally?”
Hancock recommends that new civilian employees take time to learn their Army Civilian, Training, Education & Development System (ACTEDS) plans. All 31 Army career programs have plans posted online with competitive professional development on programs offered. Employees can contact their functional proponent for more information, or if they aren’t sure who to contact, civilian professionals can email the CP26 office for guidance at: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-dcs-g-1.mbx.cp26@mail.mil.
According to Hancock, there is a laundry list of resources and opportunities available to the civilian workforce including the Civilian Education System, which is open to all civilians, the Army Career Tracker and Go Army Ed to view training, as well as Army programs to grow and develop leaders.
“I am eligible to retire soon and I want to know that I am comfortable turning over ‘my Army’ to the person coming behind me,” Hancock said.
Persons transitioning out of the military service into a civilian career, or planning to retire, should look at their personnel file folder well in advance and take advantage of retirement classes offered at least one year prior to retirement, Hancock advised. It is important to keep personnel files up to date throughout your career, she said.
Service members in Stuttgart can contact the Transition and Retirement Services Administrator for assistance in their civilian or retirement transition at DSN: 431-3673/civ: 07031-15-367.
The Army Career Tracker website will have new references available online in October, including do’s and don’ts for resume writing.
Stuttgart’s Army Community Service offers free resume writing classes to all military community members monthly. Contact ACS for more information at DSN: 431-3362/civ. 07031-15-3362.
For more information about CP26, visit http://www.cp26.army.mil/.
PODCAST (added Oct. 6, 2016)
Talking Manpower speaks with Alyssa Buxbaum, management analyst at the Resource Management Office, U.S. Army Garrison – Stuttgart:
Part 1: https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/45126/talking-manpower-14-episode-part-1
Part 2: https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/45152/talking-manpower-episode-14-part-2