Palace Acquire (PAQ) civilians enter federal civilian service through unique pathways early in their career that prepare them for successful futures in the Department of Defense (DoD). The program provides multiple opportunities for expanded education and training, including enrollment in AFIT’s Air Force Civil Engineer Basic Course (WMGT 101). Last week, the CE Weekly featured a submission by AFIT’s Capt Phillip Ramsey that told the story of two PAQ civilians and their achievement of a rare feat for civilian personnel: completion of the full nine-week CE basic course. Earlier this spring, the CE Weekly had the opportunity to sit down with one of these outstanding PAQ civilians, Ms Dana Wright, as she shadowed the Civilian Career Field Manager, Ms Carol Gaudette, at Headquarters Air Force.
Ms Wright graduated from Virginia Tech in 2018 with a background in architecture and she entered the Palace Acquire program shortly after. “I didn’t know much about the PAQ program, actually,” said Ms Wright. “My friend recommended I look on USAJOBs, and I looked at locations that my husband and I liked.” She was drawn to the various opportunities for architects offered by the Air Force, as well as the service’s reputation.
“I heard that the culture of the Air Force is one of the best…it’s really spectacular.” Additionally, she understood the unique value that the Air Force places on her field of expertise. “The Air Force treats their real property well. They really care about the facilities, because that’s the whole mission. If we don’t have the facilities, we can’t fly the planes.”
Transitioning into federal service requires a steep learning curve, especially in the DoD. But, the PAQ program eased this transition for Ms Wright by providing her with a civilian mentor, Ms Violetta Kaufman, and the opportunity to directly work (and learn) alongside military personnel. “On the military side, we have construction managers that go through projects with us, and most of them have been at the base longer than I have. They know the ins and outs, so if I have questions, I can walk over and ask them,” says Ms Wright. “They have all been welcoming and helpful.”
Currently, Ms Wright works as a project manager and architect at Travis AFB. Throughout her first several months in the PAQ program, she has had the opportunity to not only broaden her understanding of the DoD project design process, but she has also taken advantage of numerous educational opportunities to better understand every nuance of the Air Force Civil Engineer mission.
Most notably, Ms Wright and one other PAQ civilian elected to extend their required training at AFIT to get the full Civil Engineer training experience. “WMGT 101 at AFIT is supposed to be five weeks for civilians. But the other student, Micah Johnson, really wanted to finish the course. So she asked if we could do it, and it was approved for us to stay through the field education. We were the only civilians that chose to stay.”
Completion of the full nine-week course allowed these two engineers to gain a broader perspective of the challenges faced by military personnel on deployments. “Just getting the hands-on experience, even on the mental toughness and physical toughness of Silver Flag—that was really challenging” says Wright.
“I think it would be beneficial to any civilian that works closely with the military. It’s valuable to get their perspective and to know what they know.” Ms Wright explained that her experience in the course better prepared her for a career in DoD service than any instructional course she had taken. It honed her understanding of the Civil Engineer mission and empowered her with the skills needed to succeed as a project manager.
In late January, Travis AFB began to receive repatriated American citizens in quarantine for COVID-19 exposure. With key personnel unavailable and urgent action required to respond to the pandemic, Ms Wright was tapped to help with some initial questions of auxiliary structures in case they would be needed. “Our civil engineering chief came over to me and said, ‘Hey, you did the course’ and had me help with tent sizes, square footage, etc. He deals with that stuff more often, but for me to understand those concepts now will benefit me in the long run.” The real-world training she received in the last four weeks of the WMGT 101 experience was already paying off and enabling her to help solve urgent problems.
With roughly one more year left in the PAQ program, Ms Wright will continue to support the Travis AFB mission as a project manager and take advantage of all the educational opportunities that she can. Her advice to those looking to join the PAQ program? “Don’t be afraid to ask questions…When you’re young in your career, it’s easy to be intimidated. You have to ask, ‘Am I learning to be a better project manager? A better Airman? Am I contributing to the Air Force to do my job well?...There is always more to learn.”