Photo By Robert Hill | The Army Expeditionary Civilian Workforce (AECW) Program offers unique opportunities...... read more read more
WASHINGTON – The Army Expeditionary Civilian Workforce (AECW) Program provides civilian augmentation to critical missions across the globe by offering combatant commanders flexibilities and skillsets not readily available or fully resourced in their current organizations. AECW civilians are a force multiplier that enable commanders to mitigate resourcing gaps by quickly mobilizing and then executing mission requirements by leveraging just-in-time, as well as ongoing, expertise and specialization.
The mission of the AECW Program is to train, deploy, redeploy and reintegrate Army expeditionary civilians, and participating Department of Defense expeditionary civilians, supporting military and national security operations worldwide. While the mission reads simply, it involves a lot of moving parts and can be daunting for those who proceed through it. The following questions and answers are offered as an AECW “primer” to help those possibly interested in serving with the program.
Q1: Who can participate in the AECW program?
The program covers expeditionary civilian volunteers who temporarily deploy to fill mission-critical positions in the various combatant commands (USEUCOM, USCENTCOM, USAFRICOM, USSOUTHCOM, etc.). It also ensures that internal unit deployers and emergency-essential personnel are fully ready to fulfill the obligations involved with their designated status.
Those who volunteer to deploy as expeditionary civilians must meet the following criteria:
• Be a permanent or term Army civilian. If term, their appointment must extend beyond the end date of the deployment.
• Secure the approval of their supervisory chain; disapprovals are rare as AECW is considered an Army priority mission.
• Be at least the vacancy’s target grade (which are suggested) or one grade lower or higher.
• If on an overseas assignment, must have at least 18 months remaining prior to their date eligible for return from overseas or DEROS.
• If in the Army Reserve, must be in a retired or standby status. Cannot be in the Ready Reserve, as this would be a dual obligation for deployment.
• Must be able to obtain a security clearance at the interim secret level, at a minimum. Some positions may require higher clearances.
Q2: What types of expeditionary civilian opportunities are available?
Currently, there are nearly 200 deployment opportunities across a wide range of civilian specialties. Career fields include safety, emergency management, human resources, training, protocol, operations, logistics management, budget, public affairs, quality assurance, IT, communications, and more. There are also about two dozen AECW Directorate headquarters staff opportunities that are filled on a term, not-to-exceed (NTE) basis through USAJOBS.
Q3: How are expeditionary volunteers selected?
Once a volunteer’s command approves their packet, it’s submitted to the AECW Directorate, where a team of specialists reviews and endorses the packet and starts looking to match the volunteer to a deployment requirement. While volunteers can identify a specific requirement they’d like to fill, they may be asked to serve in another, similar requirement that matches their credentials.
Q4: Where are volunteer opportunities located?
Deployment locations vary over time but currently can be found in such places as Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan and Honduras, among others.
Q5: How long are volunteer deployments?
AECW Directorate-sponsored deployments are considered details to a set of duties. They are completed in a temporary duty status for six, nine or 11 months, depending on the specific needs of each vacancy.
Q6: How does an AECW deployment affect the volunteer’s home-station job?
The volunteer’s permanent position of record is unaffected, and they continue to receive basic pay and benefits through their home organizations. The AECW Directorate, however, covers certain additional costs such as travel, approved overtime and post differential or hazardous pay, when authorized.
Q7: What are living conditions like for deployed civilians?
Deployments are under field conditions. Therefore, deployers should expect to be billeted in tents, barracks or containerized rooms, with shared showers and restrooms, and meals in the dining facility or DFAC. All deployments are also unaccompanied.
Q8: What sort of preparation and training is involved?
All deployers must go through pre-deployment training and preparation, both at home station and at Camp Atterbury, IN. This process includes medical and dental screenings, online and classroom training, the drawing of theater-specific organizational clothing and individual equipment and other preparatory activities, such as securing or elevating one’s security clearance and/or obtaining an official passport.
Q9: How do I volunteer for an expeditionary opportunity?
Army civilians interested in applying for the AECW Program must submit a resume, recent SF-50, DD Form 214 (if former military) and a signed request for deployment form found at the link below. These documents need to be submitted through their supervisory chain and deployment coordinator.
Q10: Where is additional information available?
For a good overview of the role, history and impact of the AECW Program, read the Military Review article at the link below. Next, contact your organization’s or higher headquarters’ deployment specialist or coordinator, who should have a list of the most current and upcoming deployment opportunities and can assist your efforts to prepare for a deployment, if selected. You can also reach out to the AECW Directorate program office by email at usarmy.in.hqda.mbx.aecw-deployments@army.mil.
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To download the Request for Deployment form: https://www.dcpas.osd.mil/sites/default/files/2.%20Request%20for%20Deployment%20%28RFD%29%2020%20Sept%202018.pdf
To read the Military Review article about AECW: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/journals/military-review/online-exclusive/2024-ole/close-the-skills-gap-with-expeditionary-civilians/
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2024 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 480985 |
| Location: | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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