CP26 Employee Spotlight: Mr. Rick Medina

Photo By Cory Hancock | The CP26 Employee Spotlight for Summer 2016 is Mr. Rick Medina  

THE PENTAGON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES

08.02.2016

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Career Program 26

Name: Enrique (Rick) Medina

Years of Federal Service: 22 years as active Army (now retired) and 11 years as an Army Civilian.

Activities and Hobbies:

I enjoy collecting sports memorabilia. As a kid I can remember my father taking me to baseball and basketball games. I also remember going to the store during the weekend to check out baseballs autographed by great players like Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams. In some ways, we’re living in a golden age of sports memorabilia. A devoted fan can now go online and buy anything from an NBA Championship ring to an autographed jersey. I currently have autographed baseballs, bats and jerseys of Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, just to name a few.

I also love to cruise; there’s just something about cruising that forces you to disconnect and actually relax and enjoy life around you. My family and I just returned from our sixth cruise in four years, and are getting ready to cruise the Mediterranean soon. It is an unexplainable experience.

My greatest enjoyment comes from spending time with my family and friends. My wife, five daughters and six grandchildren are the most important thing in the world to me and I enjoy spending quality time with them. I am blessed and very fortunate.

Where do you work?

Manpower Allocation Division (DAPE-PRA), Joint Team, which is under the Plans and Resources Directorate, Army G-1 at the Pentagon.

What is your job Title? Senior Management Analyst

Describe your job:

My job is very unique and demanding. My team and I provide analytical products to support the force in strength management, resourcing and compensation, in an effort to meet strategic Army objectives. As the Senior Analyst for the Joint Team, I develop and execute strategies to ensure the Army’s manpower program is properly aligned with the Army’s structure and budget databases, and effectively communicated to Army stakeholders throughout all phases of the Planning, Programming, Budget and Execution (PPBE) cycle. I also review, analyze and implement manpower change requests submitted by Commands during the annual Program Objective Memorandum (POM) and Budget Estimate Submission (BES). I am responsible for coordinating and implementing Memorandums of Agreement that are used every year to develop OSD’s Resource Management Decision (RMD) and for conducting manpower affordability analyses to ensure that requested changes do not create an unaffordable manpower situation for Army commands. I also provide functional advice to the Army G-3 on current execution of Joint manpower and programmed year-end data. One of my most important responsibilities is to ensure balance between the OSD Comptroller Information System (CIS), the Army’s Structure and Manpower Allocation System (SAMAS) and the Unified Combatant Commands (COCOMs). I am responsible for representing the Army during the Joint Mission & Manpower Assessment Team (JMMAT) and the Joint Manning Validation Board (JMVB) and to make recommendations to the OpsDeps Tank to endorse the mission brought forward by the COCOMs.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy providing direct support to the COCOMs and NATO in a way that really makes a difference and ensuring that they have the right tools and information to get their mission accomplished. The contribution that our team makes is vital to the Army G-1’s ability to make manpower decisions that ultimately influence the overall success of the Army. It is very rewarding to know that in some small way my contribution has made a difference. I find it exciting to have the ability to implement new ideas and see them through to realization. Another crucial part of my job is the rapport and synergy among my co-workers. I work with an outstanding group of people and feel blessed to form part of such a great team.

What is your most memorable and/or challenging experience during your time as a Manpower and Force Manager?

On a personal level, balancing work commitments while working towards my master’s degree was a challenging experience that required 100% commitment to both efforts, but left me with a great sense of fulfillment once it was completed. Additionally, the opportunity to work with other military and civilian manpower experts from the different branches of service and understanding how each of their manpower systems work is both challenging and rewarding. In this type of job, relationships between the services are crucial. Our one-on-one connections with each other form the foundation of what we do and are critical to continuous progress. Professionally, one of the most challenging experiences I’ve encountered has been learning and understanding the Combatant Command and Joint Staff mission prioritization, capability gaps and the resource risks driving requests for permanent manpower resources.

Would you recommend working in this career field to other federal employees?

Absolutely! There are many opportunities in the CP26 to build an exciting and successful career that affects change and directly contributes to the Army’s mission while enhancing professional growth. In this career program, we are committed to a common goal and a common vision.

• Date Taken: 08.02.2016
• Date Posted: 08.04.2016 10:36
• Story ID: 206058
• Location: THE PENTAGON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US