Author: Joel Schofer, MD, MBA, CPE
Team at Naval Personnel Command Works 24/7 to Help Sailors, Families With PCS Questions
MILLINGTON, Tennessee (NNS) — Since the Navy’s first announcement in mid-March to stop movement due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic, Sailors with Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders have been worried what that will mean for them and their families.
According to Navy Personnel Command’s Career Management Department, the questions have been rampant and consistent: “Can I move?” “I’ve already checked out so what do I do now?” “Do I need an order modification?” “Do I go to my next school?” “What about my household goods?”
To answer Sailors’ questions, the Navy has relied on NPC’s Career Management Department (PERS-4) to be the repository for answers.
“We understand that this is a very stressful time for all of our Sailors and PERS-4 is doing everything we possibly can to take care of our Sailors and our Navy,” said Rear Adm. Rick Cheeseman, assistant commander, NPC for Career Management. “We are a customer service business, and our business is taking care of our people.”
More than 700 Sailors, officers and civilians make up PERS-4, representing every Navy rate and designator. Detailers work with individuals to manage their careers, and placement officers represent commands to ensure that they are properly staffed. The two halves of PERS-4 have worked hand-in-hand to ensure that both the Sailors and the Navy have what they need.
With the release of NAVADMIN 064/20 in mid-March, the PERS-4 stood up a round-the-clock duty to proactively initiate contact with every member immediately impacted by the 60-day stop movement order. This 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week service reaches out to this group of almost 23,000 Sailors and officers which includes anyone already in the middle of a PCS move as well as anyone with PCS orders for March or April.
While adding this level of service, PERS-4 continues its normal service to all constituents.
“Normal business has changed and the way that we conduct business has changed,” said Cheeseman. “While we are doing what we normally do we are just doing it faster. Like an emergency breakaway on a ship.
“We must be flexible and able to adjust to match the needs of the Sailors.”
As COVID-19 issued have progressed, PERS-4 needed to adjust to take their our own safety into account to keep the staff healthy and available for the Sailors.
“At the moment, about 80 percent of our staff is teleworking, but we remain fully able to care for the Sailors and the Navy,” said Cheeseman.
Many Sailors ended up in various situations – some were stuck in airports waiting to board overseas flights, and some had their household goods packed out in limbo – that required waivers to complete their transition from one duty station to another.
Cheeseman holds the waiver authority.
“The waiver process is a very intensive one and he has not delegated his authority to anyone. He personally looks at each waiver request himself with the goal of turning each round as fast as possible,” said Capt. Chris Harris, director, Distribution Management Division, Career Management Department. “There is a three-pronged test for movement waivers; mission essential, humanitarian, and economic burden. So far more 1,100 have been approved.”
All Sailors with outstanding questions are Sailors are encouraged to contact the MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) for questions. They can be reach at 1-833-330-MNCC (6622) or askmncc@navy.mil. For more information about MNCC Services and other contact information, go to https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/organization/npc/publicaffairs/news/Documents/MNCC_flyer.pdf
“Even though this situation is extremely stressful, Sailors need to remain patient. If you have an issue, we will take care of you,” Cheeseman said. “The bottom line is that we absolutely will not leave anyone behind.”
For more news from Navy Personnel Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/npc/.
Navy Initiates Temporary Changes for ID Card Offices
MILLINGTON, Tennessee (NNS) — If you lose your Common Access Card or it’s set to expire during the next two months, you’ll have to make an appointment to get a new one; no walk-ins will be allowed.
It’s another shift of Navy policy, designed to protect Sailors, families, civilian employees, contractors, and retirees during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.
NAVADMIN 097/20 directs all Navy Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System offices, known as RAPIDS sites, to only issue or reissue Common Access Cards to those with scheduled appointments. While the policy is in place, no walk-in customers will be allowed for any card issue.
Each Navy RAPIDS site will screen arriving customers by asking basic health screening questions prior to entry. Also, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safe-distance guidelines will be maintained for the safety and health of staff and customers.
Appointments are made through the online RAPIDS appointment scheduler at https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil. To locate your nearest RAPIDS center, visit www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl.
Priority for appointments will be given those with time sensitive situations, the message said. This includes active duty members whose CAC has been lost, stolen or is expiring within the next 60 days as well as newly retired members and dependents with cards expiring within the next 30 days.
For those unable to schedule an appointment online for CAC PIN resets, a controlled walk-in process for will be available for this service only.
For more information read NAVADMIN 097/20 at http://www.npc.navy.mil
DOD Guidance on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings
Here’s the PDF of the memo if you want it. It says:
SUBJECT: Department of Defense Guidance on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings
The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to taking every precaution to ensure the health and wellbeing of our Service members, DoD civilian employees, families, and the Nation in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
DoD supports, and will continue to implement, all measures necessary to mitigate risks to the spread of the disease, consistent with the Department’s priorities to protect our people, safeguard our national security capabilities, and support the government’s whole-of-nation response.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Military personnel, DoD civilian employees, their family members, and DoD contractors are strongly encouraged to follow CDC guidelines on the use of cloth face coverings in public settings or where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Effective immediately, to the extent practical, all individuals on DoD property, installations, and facilities will wear cloth face coverings when they cannot maintain six feet of social distance in public areas or work centers (this does not include in a Service member’s or Service family member’s personal residence on a military installation). This includes all:
- Military Personnel
- DoD Civilian Employees
- Family Members
- DoD Contractors
- All other individuals on DoD property, installations, and facilities
Exceptions to this requirement may be approved by local commanders or supervisors, and then submitted up the chain of command for situational awareness. Security checkpoints may require the lowering of face covers to verify identification.
The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will issue updated force health protection guidance on DoD implementation. The Military Departments will issue
guidance on wear for Service members. As an interim measure, all individuals are encouraged to fashion face coverings from household items or common materials, such as clean T-shirts or other clean cloths that can cover the nose and mouth area. Medical personal protective equipment such as N95 respirators or surgical masks will not be issued for this purpose as these will be reserved for the appropriate personnel.
The Department will continue to implement force protective measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 to our total force and their families, and the American people. The latest DoD policies can be found at:
Message from the SG: What the Women and Men of Navy Medicine Do
Esteemed Navy Medicine Shipmates,
Navy Medicine continues to serve on the front-lines of our Nation’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. We are medical professionals working together as high-performance teams to bring the full power of Navy Medicine to our mission and to our country. We were built for this mission and the work you are doing reflects our One Navy Medicine strategy. We are all fully engaged in support of this national emergency – Fleet and Fleet Marine Force medical personnel and MTF providers and staff, as well as our public health, research and development, emergency preparedness, and logistics experts.
This week our hospital ships, USNS Comfort in New York and USNS Mercy in Los Angeles, arrived on scene and immediately established relationships with local and state health officials bringing our skills and expertise to those hardest hit. As we speak, our teams are providing care to those most in need and are beginning to ramp up the number of patients they are treating. Our hospital ships may be our most visible symbols of Medical Power but they are part of the wider MHS support network.
The Navy, along with the Army and Air Force, have deployed Expeditionary Medical Facilities (EMFs) to provide urgent care to areas impacted by COVID-19. Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s EMF – Mike split into two teams. One will be working in New Orleans caring for COVID-19 patients under investigation who are awaiting their test results but unable to return to private residence for self- quarantine. The other team is in Dallas awaiting final assignment.
Volunteer Navy Medicine reservists have immeasurably strengthened our One Navy Medicine team. After assessing that their absence would not negatively impact the health care response of their own communities, these dedicated professionals stepped up to augment our support to our country. They are deployed on board USNS MERCY, USNS COMFORT, serving at our medical treatment facilities and also staffing Expeditionary Medical Facility Navy Reserve-Bethesda that has been activated to support New York City. Regardless of the mission, they, like all of you, are at the epicenter of protecting the health of Sailors, Marines, families, and our fellow citizens.
Make no mistake; there is demanding work ahead. We are in this together and leveraging the talents of our civilian, contractor, active duty and reserve communities, we will prevail. One of our greatest strengths as an organization is that we thrive on rapid cycle feedback to improve the quality and the safety of the care we provide. We are never content or complacent. We thrive on providing and receiving rapid cycle feedback, widely sharing not only our successes but, more importantly, what we have learned from our failures. Just as we refined our approach to combat casualty care to achieve unprecedented survival rates, we will continue to apply best available clinical and research evidence to adjust fire and defeat this adversary. That is what high velocity learning organizations do.
The members of a strong, resilient organization understand the value of clear, bi-directional communication. Keep in regular communication with your team and actively reach out if you feel you are “out of the loop.” Stay at home orders and long solo hours of tele-work also risk creating a sense of social isolation. Remember, social distancing does not have to mean social disengagement. The same technology that allows you to tele-work also allows you to connect with family and friends. Taking care of yourselves and families should be a top priority and is essential for mission readiness. Don’t be afraid to walk away from your computers and take a break. Get some fresh air and exercise. And if you need to talk to someone please do so. Communication is a sign of strength not weakness. There are numerous resources within Navy Medicine and throughout the Navy to provide support if you need it.
We have much to be proud of. All of us are enduring changes in our work routines, lifestyle and our way of life but this has not changed our focus on the important work ahead. Many of you are putting yourselves in harm’s way on behalf of our shipmates. Now we also have the privilege to bring our expeditionary medical expertise to bear on behalf of our families, friends, and neighbors. As we confront this challenge, have confidence that regardless of the setting, we never work alone. As the Surgeon General, I can assure you that the full force of Navy Medicine’s power is with you. Together, our talent, knowledge, toughness, creativity and teamwork will get us through this and we will be a stronger organization as a result. Communicate clearly, strive to improve every day and keep yourself and those entrusted to your care safe. That is what the women and men of Navy Medicine have always done and that is what we will always do.
With my respect and admiration, SG
Bruce L. Gillingham, MD, CPE, FAOA
RADM, MC, USN
Surgeon General, U.S. Navy
Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Get JPME I! Application Period Opens for Fleet Seminar Program
NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) — The U.S. Naval War College will begin accepting applications April 1 for new and returning students in the Fleet Seminar Program for the academic year beginning in September 2020.
The program consists of the three core courses of the College of Naval Command and Staff offered through the College of Distance Education. The application window runs through May 31.
The program provides Joint Intermediate-Level Professional Military Education (JPME-I) in a seminar format at 19 naval and joint bases around the country in keeping with the efforts of the chief of naval personnel to foster a deliberate and flexible learning environment.
“The Fleet Seminar Program creates leaders that are operationally and strategically minded critical thinkers. The military needs leaders who are proficient in joint matters and prepared to meet the complex challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Professor Ron Oard, Fleet Seminar Program manager.
“Looking at the recently released Education for Seapower Strategy, the Navy has placed more emphasis on higher education as a critical warfighting enabler,” he said.
Each course runs from September through May, meeting one evening a week for three hours. The seminars are conducted at the graduate level and require appropriate initiative, research work, writing and class participation from each student.
After successfully completing their first course, students may apply for acceptance into the Naval War College’s Graduate Degree Program, in which, with additional elective coursework, they can earn a Master of Arts degree in defense and strategic studies.
Nearly 1,000 students are currently enrolled, and more than 900 have earned a master’s degree through the program in the past five years.
Enrollment is open to eligible active and reserve officers in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in the grade of O-3 and above. Active and reserve officers in other military services must be in the grade of O-4 and above to be eligible. Federal civilian employees in the grade of GS-11 and equivalent or above are also eligible.
Selected staff members in the federal executive, legislative, and judiciary branches are also eligible, through an agreement with the chief of naval operations. All applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree.
For more information on course locations and application procedures, visit the FSP website at https://usnwc.edu/college-of-distance-education/Fleet-Seminar-Program.
For more news from Naval War College, visit www.navy.mil/local/nwc/.
Navy Deploys Expeditionary Medical Facility Personnel to Support Federal COVID-19 Response
From the Office of the Navy Chief of Information
WASHINGTON (NNS) — Navy medical personnel assigned to Expeditionary Medical Facility-M (EMF-M) have deployed as part of a U.S. Northern Command-led COVID-19 response to support civil health authorities in existing facilities in New Orleans and Dallas.
The first 50 personnel with EMF-M deployed to New Orleans Wednesday, with about 60 more arriving Saturday. They will work at the temporary federal medical station at New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
In addition, over 170 personnel deployed to Dallas today to work in a temporary federal medical station established there to assist local medical personnel.
Personnel assigned to U.S. Navy EMFs are trained to provide medical support, such as acute care and emergency care, and will work with local health authorities to support community need.
Bioethical and Legal Considerations During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Health Care Providers Webinar
Registration is now open for the 9 April 2020 Special Feature Webinar: Bioethical and Legal Considerations During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Health Care Providers. The Special Feature Webinar will take place from 1400-1530 (ET) and is completely virtual allowing participants to earn up to 1.5 Continuing Education/Continuing Medical Education credits from anywhere in the world! To register for this Special Feature Webinar, please visit the following link: https://www.dhaj7-cepo.com/content/bioethical-and-legal-considerations-during-covid-19-pandemic-health-care-providers
The live webinar will discuss bioethical principles, ethical frameworks, legal considerations, and highlight case studies/problem-based discussions for Military Health System (MHS) health care providers during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Presenters:
Army Col. Frederick Lough, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Director, Department of Defense Medical Ethics Center (DMEC)
Bryan Wheeler, J.D.
Deputy General Counsel, Defense Health Agency (DHA)
Joseph Procaccino, Jr., J.D., M.F.S.
Legal Advisor, DMEC
James Giordano, Ph.D., M.Phil.
Bioethicist, DMEC
Joshua Girton, J.D., L.L.M., M.B.A.
Deputy Director, DMEC
Target Audience:
This Special Feature Webinar is designed to meet the educational needs of Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Social Workers, Psychologists, Certified Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Optometrists, Kinesiotherapists, and Healthcare Executives.
Participation:
To register for the Special Feature Webinar, please visit the following link: https://www.dhaj7-cepo.com/content/bioethical-and-legal-considerations-during-covid-19-pandemic-health-care-providers
Finance Friday Articles
I like these principles/quotes from the Vanguard article about dealing with market volatility:
Market volatility is normal and expected. History tells us this too shall pass. Consider this: To date, every significant market fall has been followed by a rebound. We anticipate downturns; we just can’t predict how low the market will go or when it will bounce back.
I trust my asset allocation because it’s based on my time horizon, risk tolerance, and goals.
I don’t know if market volatility will be the “new normal,” but I know it’s normal—so normal, in fact, we’ve posted several blog posts about it before.
Here are this week’s favorites:
Bear Market! What (If Anything) Should You Do?
Surviving Your Very First Market Crash
The Hardest Part of a Buy & Hold Strategy
Here are the rest of this week’s articles:
3 reasons not to move your portfolio to cash
10 Personal Finance YouTube Channels You Should Be Watching
Even Warren Buffett Can’t Nail the Bottom
FIRE Confessionals: How A Bear Market Has Impacted The Financial Independence Movement
Five Stock Market Alternative Investments 2020
Intra-Specialty Salary Differences on Merritt Hawkins
Recession, Coronavirus and the Future of FIRE
School’s in Session – 6 Takeaways from the Downturn
Social Security in a Down Market: Does it Make More Sense to File Early?
The Corona Crisis vs. The Great Depression
The Federal Reserve Doesn’t Control Mortgage Rates, The Market Does
The Simple Path to Wealth: Is It Really That Simple?
The Unpleasant Surprise of the Bond Market During COVID-19
What COVID Taught Me About Money
What Doctors Should Care About in the CARES Act (the Coronavirus Relief Package)
What Matters Most When Investing
What the $2 Trillion Stimulus Plan Means For Your Student Loans
A Bunch of Interesting COVID Related Articles
Here you go:
Defense Department Halts Health Records Rollout During COVID-19
MHS Genesis deployment suspended amid COVID-19 pandemic
Military may build two more hospital ships, Trump says
Military’s Plan to Cut 18,000 Medical Staff Should Be Shelved During Pandemic, MOAA Says
Navy says it will still do urinalysis tests ‘to the greatest extent possible’ amid COVID-19 concerns
The Military Health System is uniquely suited to handle the COVID-19 crisis
The Pentagon is looking at reducing, but not eliminating, operations during COVID-19 pandemic
Throwback Thursday Classic Post – The Best Education You Can Get in the Navy
(It may seem silly to re-post this when most classes are cancelled, but it never hurts to plan. There will be a rush to attend these after the pandemic abates, so maybe you can get on the list early if you find something on the list that interests you below.)
I’ve done a lot of courses and educational programs during my 17.5 (now 19) years in the Navy. Here are the best ones I’ve done and why they are so good:
- Advanced Medical Department Officer Course (AMDOC) (Note – this is now named the Advanced Readiness Officer Course or AROC) – This is tops on the list because it is the most useful and educational course with the widest applicability. Everyone should attend AMDOC as early as they can in their Naval career. This is where you’ll learn about BUMED, the Defense Health Agency (DHA), fitness reports, managing your career, and a whole host of other useful topics. You can find info on the course (and most of these other courses) in this document.
- Naval War College Fleet Seminar Program – This is how I did my Joint Professional Military Education I (which incidentally is one of the best AQDs you can get). I tried to do the on-line Air Force version that everyone said was easier, but I’ve never been less motivated to do anything in my life. When I did the Fleet Seminar Program it was a lot easier because I had a class I had to show up to and classmates I had projects we were working on. It was also a lot more interesting to have discussions with folks of all backgrounds than doing it by myself on-line. You can read about it on their website.
- Naval Postgraduate School Executive MBA Program – This allows you to get a defense focused MBA in 2 years. The commitment is 3 years from the time you finish or quit, and it doesn’t interfere with your medical special pays. It is accredited as a standard MBA program, so you get all the usual MBA content you’d expect (finance, accounting, etc.), but there is a defense focus. This means that you take a class on funding the DoD and 2 semesters about how to purchase weapons programs. The weapons acquisition class was the least fun part of the degree for me, but I was warned ahead of time so I knew it was coming. I combined this non-medical MBA with the Certified Physician Executive courses to learn medical related leadership principles in addition to standard business principles. The work isn’t hard, but it is time consuming and about 10-20 hours per week. Overall, I’d highly recommend this program as you get a quality MBA for only the cost of books.
- Interagency Institute for Federal Health Care Executives (IFFHCE) – This is a very senior level course that is filled with O6 and the equivalent personnel from all branches and governmental agencies. When I attended I was a senior O5 and was the among the most junior in the class. You get exposed to all sorts of very influential speakers who are experts on their high-level strategic topics. It is tough to get into this class, but if you can go I’d highly recommend it.
- MHS Medical Executive Skills Capstone Course – This is similar to the IFFHCE (#4 above). It is senior and strategic. The course topics overlap, but both are excellent.
- MedXellence – This is a course run by the Uniformed Services University that they take on the road. You can often find that the course is coming to your area and sign up when it is local. This course is senior and more operational/tactical than the last 2 courses. It is for those interested in the business aspects of Navy Medicine, like clinic managers, department heads, OICs, Directors, etc. It is similar to an advanced clinic management course.
- Naval Justice School Senior Officer Legal Course – This course is for anyone who has Executive Medicine in their future. You will learn about legal challenges that senior leaders face in a case-based and enjoyable format. I was able to get into the course pretty easily as an O5. You don’t have to be slated to be an XO.
- Lean Six Sigma – If you are at a medium-large command, you should have someone somewhere that is the command’s Lean Six Sigma black belt. You may even have an entire office dedicated to it. I’ve done the green belt certification and taken the black belt course but never completed the full black belt certification. If you want an introduction to process improvement, start taking LSS classes available to you at your command.
- Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course – I took this course a long time ago when I was a GMO, but it was great then and probably is still great. You get to go to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). This is probably of even greater relevance lately due to the COVID pandemic.
- TRICARE Financial Management Executive’s Program (TFMEP) – This is another road show similar to MedXellence. You can find the course info here. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to rise to the senior levels of leadership at any MTF.
- Joint Senior Medical Leader Course (JSMLC)
- Joint Medical Operations Course – I did these last 2 courses back-to-back at DHA before I was deployed as a Joint Task Force Surgeon. They were a good introduction to the world of joint operations, but not among my favorites, which is why they are at the bottom of the list. If you want to be introduced to the world of joint publications and find out if “joint” really means “Army” have at it!
I’m sure there are other great courses available in the Navy, but these are the ones I’ve done that I found useful. If you have others you’d suggest, post them in the comments section.
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 