New workforce of the military

Photo By Master Sgt. Opal Vaughn | Staff Sgt. Shawn Komarek, an air liaison officer with 5th Squadron, 1st U.S. Cavalry, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, departs the flight deck after assisting several passengers catching a flight out of Forward Operating Base Caldwell located in Diyala, Iraq, Nov. 25.  

11.27.2008

Story by Spc. Opal Vaughn  

14th Public Affairs Detachment

By Spc. Opal Vaughn
14th Public Affairs Detachment

Due to the demands of today's competitive workforce, many Soldiers have found themselves reassigned from their trained military occupational specialty and tasked with new job responsibilities at Forward Operating Base Caldwell, located in Diyala, Iraq, Nov. 26.

But re-tasking is not something the Army has just recently begun.

Retraining in an unfamiliar MOS can either be done by a Soldier choosing to re-class or if there is a need for a Soldier to fill a job slot which is important for the needs of the Army. "Re-classing" may seem a bit drastic, but it allows many Soldiers an opportunity for advancement as well as the opportunity to become certified or trained in another specialty.

The numbers of dually-trained Soldiers are a growing trend in today's military. In fact, it is becoming even more popular in order for personnel to become more competitive in today's workforce.

Roy, Mont. native, Staff Sgt. Shawn Komarek, an air liaison officer with 5th Squadron, 1st U.S. Cavalry, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, is one Soldier represents this growing trend , and reassignment needs of 5-1Cav.

"My original MOS is a scout," said Komarek. "I got to the unit right before we deployed and there was no slot available as a scout for me. As a scout, I did reconnaissance, found caches and conducted intelligence operations. Now I do all of the air movement and all of the air movement requests."

"It is a very dedicated job," Komarek continued, "I go out and meet personnel at the flight line and make sure the landing zone is clear. If I do have birds on the ground, then I direct other birds in a direction I think they should land. Just in case there's an emergency though, I've already staged myself about an hour out from their landing time."

Also trained in another MOS to fill spots at the FOB is Albuquerque, N.M. native, Pfc. SierraLynn Harris, a mechanic with 5-1 Cav., reassigned to the mayor cell as a badge maker.

"Currently, I'm the only trained female mechanic to work in the motor pool," said Harris. "There were other females, but they ended up being sent to the other bases. Being the only female working in the motor pool my NCO felt I would be an asset in another area of work on the FOB."

Even though Harris is now tasked with a different job responsibility, she still feels the job she is doing now is vitally important to the Army's mission in Iraq. "I sort through all of the paperwork so that the KBR guys can focus on getting their jobs done, plus it saves them a lot of time. I also take up all the work orders and process them before I submit the work orders back to be worked on," Harris stated.

The Soldiers at Caldwell to stay vigilant as they all share the responsibilities of manning the FOB and continuing to support missions throughout the Diyala province area.

"Right now, due to us not having the man power or personnel because we are such a small unit, it's very hard to get someone to fill this spot," Komarek stated. "If we take someone from another job to train in this job, then we're short handing another element."

• Date Taken: 11.27.2008
• Date Posted: 12.12.2008 11:04
• Story ID: 27585