Photo By Thomas Robbins | Representatives from Tobyhanna Army Depot joined students from Clear Run Elementary in...... read more read more
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TOBYHANNA, PENNSYLVANIA -- As the new year gains momentum, the team at Tobyhanna Army Depot reflects on the numerous community events and engagement opportunities presented by the local area that were supported with pride by depot leadership and personnel in 2022.
With the cautious lifting of restrictions implemented to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 saw the team at Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) taking a big step back into the surrounding community to engage and connect with the people of the region. From honoring our nation’s heroes, to encouraging the youth of northeastern Pennsylvania to blossom where they’re planted – depot leadership and personnel set out to support as many events as the mission and resources made possible.
Always at the forefront of Tobyhanna’s community support agenda is recognizing local military heroes for outstanding service and their embodiment of the Army Values.
In 2022, depot commander, Col. Daniel L. Horn and depot Sgt. Maj. Michael J. Wiles presented four such individuals with TYAD’s Warfighter of the Quarter (WoQ) award.
This award is unique to TYAD and celebrates service members who excel in their duties both within their units and out in their communities. The four service members honored with the WoQ award in 2022 were Sgt. First Class (SFC) Francis Boehme, Staff Sgt. (SSG) Jason Warner, SFC Robert Walker and SSG Wesley Brand.
"It's very easy to recognize Soldiers that encompass values, compassion and resilience," said Kelvin Spencer, Deputy Director of the Systems Integration and Support directorate. "It's in Soldiers like these, who haven't forgotten what it truly means when we say ‘do the right thing.’”
The WoQ award presentation ceremonies are held at a variety of public events around the region, including the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders Baseball and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins Hockey respective military appreciation games; and serves to recognize the bond between the community, the depot workforce, and the warfighters who carry out vital missions across the global battlefront.
The type of engagements Team Tobyhanna received invitations to throughout the year were as diverse and dynamic as the communities in which they were held.
During 2022, TYAD leadership and employees participated in formal observances and ceremonies within the surrounding community such as the Taylor Memorial Day Parade in Taylor, Pa.; a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in Archbald, Pa.; and Wreaths Across America events in Delaware Water Gap and Hanover, Pa.
Community partners lauded TYAD for its efforts to support the region.
“Tobyhanna Army Depot’s leadership makes it a priority to connect with the local community and has a longstanding commitment to northeastern Pennsylvania,” said James Walters, Adjutant of the Sons of American Legion Detachment of Pennsylvania Central Section.
Events for the region’s children are always a highlight for Team Tobyhanna, and 2022 brought numerous requests to support the youth of the community in various ways.
Personnel from TYAD's Employee Services Center were invited to read to students at the JFK Elementary School in Scranton, PA for International Kindness Matters Day. Col. Horn and Sgt. Maj. Wiles dedicated themselves to an educational program held by a local school district in observance of Veterans Day. There they answered students’ questions about careers with the U.S. Army and the many ways the hardworking Army Civilians at TYAD support our nation’s warfighters. And Installation Services employee, Sgt. Megan Kennedy reported for duty as wheelman for Santa Claus at the Tobyhanna Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 509 Auxiliary’s annual Christmas party for children from in and around Coolbaugh Township, Pa.
The TYAD motor pool dispatched High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and other mobile military equipment (as resources allowed) for display in support of many of the year’s events, including a variety of children’s educational functions across the area. Included among those supported events were the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport’s second annual Wheel Life Experience exhibition; Kids Day at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.; and the Outreach Center for Community Resource’s Children’s Career Fair in Scranton, Pa., to name a few.
Tammy Capone of the Outreach team in Scranton expressed her gratitude for Tobyhanna’s support of their career fair in a thank-you note, writing, “Thank you so much for supporting our event. The Hummer is always a crowd favorite!”
Recruiting the future workforce is an essential component of TYAD’s strategic plan to sustain mission operations, today, tomorrow and into the future. A key element of this effort is conducting community outreach to ensure job seekers and up-and-coming generations are familiar with the many opportunities and benefits that come with employment on Team Tobyhanna.
Over the past year, representatives from TYAD and the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center – Tobyhanna (CPAC) participated in dozens of job fairs and career exploration events held throughout the surrounding localities. At these functions, CPAC employees met with the attending public to answer questions and share information about the job application process and how to navigate the federal government’s official employment website, USAJOBS.
Depot representatives also met with hundreds of students from area high schools, technical schools and colleges that held career exploration events to showcase the wide array of opportunities available in the northeastern Pennsylvania job marketplace.
Job fair patrons seeking a change of career and area students planning their futures both eagerly inquired about the types of training and skills that could prepare them for a vocation supporting warfighters at Tobyhanna. The evolving nature of the mission of the organic industrial base to which TYAD belongs demands a future-focused and innovative workforce to execute the technically diverse and specialized workload supported at the installation. These skills sets can be learned through various programs offered by local trade schools, technical institutes, and community colleges; many of which consult with subject matter experts from the depot to develop their curriculum. In addition, TYAD leadership prioritizes investing in its people, holding in-house skills training and certifications; and encouraging employees to continue their education with funding through a tuition reimbursement program.
Team Tobyhanna continues to conduct this multi-faceted community outreach to demonstrate that secure, meaningful employment with generous benefits and compensation is available to residents right in their own backyard.
2022 culminated with Tobyhanna Army Depot’s community relations initiatives being recognized with the Best Practices in Community Involvement Award by the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce during their annual Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence ceremony on Nov.17.
“Community events allow Team Tobyhanna to make a meaningful contribution to the people and organizations of northeastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding area,” said Danielle Weinschenk, Lead Public Affairs Specialist. “We are proud to connect with our community whenever we can and look forward to being a part of regional events for years to come.”
Connecting with the community, recruiting the future workforce, and investing in its people are important tenets of Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035. The plan focuses on posturing the depot to support future force requirements and has additional lines of effort dedicated to ensuring C5ISR readiness across the joint services and shaping the future for generations to come.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2023 19:04 |
| Story ID: | 438312 |
| Location: | TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Community relations (COMREL)
