Transition Benefits: OCHR Launches Civilian Careers Campaign

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Mikelle D. Smith, Defense Media Activity - Navy

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Department of the Navy's (DoN) Office of Civilian Human Resources (OCHR) held a leadership conference at the Admiral Gooding Center on board Washington Navy Yard, Dec. 8.

Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) Juan M. Garcia III., a speaker at the event, announced DoN's official launch of the new Civilian Careers campaign.

The campaign, developed as a response after OCHR recognized the changing environments that currently exist in the DoN, will address and modernize tools and processes in recruiting non-military personnel and veterans to the civilian component of the Navy.

"The Department of the Navy is one of the largest most complex organizations in the world," said Garcia. "We need the best talent we can get, so we go from corner to corner in the country searching for the best of the best ... if they have the desire to serve we can use their talents."

During the event, Garcia touched on a variety of discussion topics, including Enlisted Retention Boards (ERB), Perform-to-Serve (PTS), and Selective Early Retirement Boards (SERB).

"With an unprecedented level of retention [in the Navy] we had to make some very tough decisions," said Garcia. "We had to ask a lot of great Americans and exceptional Sailors to leave the active component. But, it is important to know that over 50 percent of our civilian teammates are veterans, and we need more of those folks to go from shipmates to workmates."

Former Sailor and Civilian Careers spokesperson Connie Vitiello, said she decided to rejoin the ranks of the military when she applied for a position with the Marine Corps.

"The sense of urgency and pride that I felt while I was in the Navy was my motivation for pursuing a civilian career with the military," said Vitiello. "In the Navy I valued the camaraderie and the work ethic that I found while I served ... I found what I was looking for when I realized I could still feel that and support the active duty military while continuing to be with my family."

A web site has been setup to help encourage Sailors who may be affected by ERB, PTS and SERB to consider continuing their service to country in the civilian sector of the DoN. Visit the site at http://www.public.navy.mil/donhr/Employment/Vets/Pages/Default.aspx.

"We hope the Sailors we had to ask to leave active duty will consider bringing those talents and training they received in the Navy over to the civilian side," said Garcia. "If we [the Navy] are going to ask the private sector to hire our Sailors it only makes sense that we lead from the front and transition those individuals that want to stay Navy to our civilian services."