By Maj. Paul Ung, DCS G-1, ADPAAS Deputy Program Manager
In today’s world of natural or man-made disasters, it has become essential to have a plan of action for determining and minimizing the affect an event has on Army personnel and their Family members. Following Hurricane Katrina, the search for a system to determine and report the whereabouts and the status of our Army began.
Recognizing the shortcomings of Katrina, the Department of Defense issued definitive instructions to the Army and other Services to develop disaster personnel accountability plans that would quickly account for all their personnel. The Army Disaster Personnel Accountability and Assessment System was shortly introduced as the personnel accountability tool to meet these DOD instructions. More importantly, ADPAAS is designed to account, assess needs, and assist the Army to a rapid return to recovery and stability.
First used in 2008 following Hurricane Ike, ADPAAS has proven to Army leaders that the tool can quickly collect and consolidate the status and needs surveys from Active/Reserve/Guard military personnel and Army civilian employees, to include their dependent members. ADPAAS is a valuable tool for Army leaders who must make tough, and often quick, decisions following an emergency. The ADPAAS data allows commanders to access personnel status, thereby facilitating the delivery of essential services to the areas of critical need.
The system enables the Army to assess disaster-related needs that may include housing, medical, financial assistance, employment, pay and benefits, transportation, child care, counseling, and general legal matters. ADPAAS ensures contact is maintained with Army personnel and Family members to guarantee that the required assistance is provided.
If an emergency or disaster occurs, the Secretary of Defense may issue a directive for all personnel to report on their status to their respective Service. Army personnel will be directed to report their status either to their unit, directly to the ADPAAS Web site or through an Army contact center. ADPAAS can and should work in concert with an organization’s alert notification systems to account for all its personnel. Organizations must include ADPAAS personnel accountability in their emergency management plans.
In leveraging current technology, Army personnel and Family members can report their status using mobile devices with internet access using the program application.
ADPAAS can also offer reassurance to deployed Soldiers about the safety of their families, “The bottom line is that preparedness increases the resiliency of America’s fighting forces and supports Soldiers who are forward-deployed,” said LTC Serafin Alorro, the Army Personnel Accountability Program Manager. “We want our Soldiers downrange to feel comfortable that their Families are being taken care of at home. Taking care of our Families … that’s our mission.”
In order to meet this mission, Army Families need to maintain accurate, up-to-date contact information in ADPAAS.
To access ADPAAS, log on to https://adpaas.army.mil and click on the Army Military, DA Civilians, NAF Employees, OCONUS Contractors and their Families button. Contact information can be updated at any time.
For more information call the ADPAAS Information Line at 1-800-833-6622, or your local USAG Stuttgart Directorate of Human Resources, Military Personnel Division at DSN: 431-2886/civ. 07031-15-2886.