Reservist

ISS2 2013

Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Bi-monthly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security

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9th District RFRS Staff Adding Value to Reserve Readiness Story by Lt. Don Tremble, 9th District, Planning and Force Readiness (DXR) S is captured by the individual pursuit of operational qualifications and certifications through training to objectives as outlined in Individual Training Plans (ITP). Through this effort Reserve members are able to focus on the specific skills and competencies necessary to mobilize and support boat operations, contingency planning and response, expeditionary warfare, marine safety, port security, law enforcement and mission support. The proactive management and leadership of RFRS staffs have led to higher readiness metric scores throughout the District's four sectors. These efforts were recognized by Rear Adm. John Welch, Atlantic Area Senior Reserve Officer, during a recent district Reserve all-hands. He also noted that the hard work and dedication the of RFRS personnel across the service have added significant value to the management and readiness of the Reserve force. To elevate the importance of training and readiness, the RFRS staff played a key role in implementing the new annual 9th District Commander's Trophy for Reserve Readiness. The award comprises four weighted sections that challenge the Reserve force to strive for optimization in operations, proficiency, participation, and readiness. Each sector is required to validate sub-unit reports capturing metrics and submit a one page memorandum, endorsed by the sector commander, documenting highlights of the award period. The district RFRS staff reviews all submission materials, awards points, and a winner is selected by the District Reserve Strategic Steering Committee. The firstever winner was Sector Sault Saint Marie. Rear Admiral Michael Parks, 9th District Commander presented the Commander's Trophy during a high visibility ceremony, which attracted several media outlets. In addition to Reserve readiness accomplishments, the 9th District RFRS staff is fortunate to be supported by an outstanding civilian workforce. Ms. Aidalis Mills, Mr. Hector Torres, and Mr. Calvin Ridley are experts in Reserve policy issues, finances, and order processing. They advise and assist the chain of command in determining the best course of action for our reservists: ensuring they are ready to answer the call to any contingency when ever and where ever needed. The 9th District Reserve force, supported by the district and sector RFRS staffs, are doing great things. From the individual Reserve member, who balances the challenges of a civilian career while meeting all of the requirements expected by the Coast Guard, to RFRS teams charged with many complexities, spanning Reserve medical issues, readiness, training and budgetary constraints, Rear Adm. John Welch, Atlantic Area Senior Reserve Offcer, presents the War of 1812 Commemoration the 9th District Reserve force is award to 9th District Reserve staff members at a recent Reserve All-Hands in Cleveland, OH. moving forward and ready to answer the call. � uccess of the 9th District Reserve force can be linked to the full time staff of the Reserve Force Readiness System (RFRS). With RFRS support, 9th District reservists have continued to make tremendous improvements in personal readiness while increasing attainment of position based competencies. By focusing attention on the reservist's personal needs, training challenges, and budgetary constraints, RFRS staffs around the service are enhancing the Coast Guard's ability to leverage a small but robust and capable Reserve force to quickly, effectively, and efficiently respond to surge and contingency operations. Management of the Ninth District's 500 plus Reserve members is handled by a cadre of just 15 RFRS positions. However, great dividends are being generated in the form of program management results, future policy developments, and force allocation efficiencies. Through this effort, and for the second year in a row, the 9th District was recognized with the prestigious Admiral Waesche award, which recognizes a Coast Guard District judged to be the most effective in building and maintaining Reserve readiness. With a renewed focus, the District's RFRS staff is working to improve operational readiness metrics through detailed management of the Personnel Allowance List (PAL) and integrating competencies assigned to individual Reserve members. Historically, operational readiness has been extremely difficult to manage due to competencies that were difficult for reservists to attain and maintain or training platform availability was limited, and in some cases, even non-existent. With its continued implementation and its programmatic evolution, the Concept of Reserve Employment (CORE) initiative has provided RFRS staffs with the tools necessary to align PAL assignments to CORE competencies. The reservist's operational readiness metric Issue 2 • 2013 � RESERVIST 33

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