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IMCOM begins second phase of guard conversion

Nov 3, 2010

By IMCOM Public Affairs

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Nov. 3, 2010) -- Nearly 1,400 jobs at 16 installations will transition from contract security firms to federal civil service beginning in January 2011 as the conversion of access-control-point security guards enters its second phase.

The first phase of the conversion saw 1,702 jobs announced and filled at 28 garrisons. The second phase, to be completed by July 26, will cover the remaining 16 garrisons and 1,397 positions, said Craig Shreiner, branch chief of physical security for Installation Management Command.

The conversion offers job seekers the opportunity to compete for entry-level Army civilian jobs, according to officials of IMCOM, the organization charged with protecting Soldiers, civilians and families on Army installations.

The recently completed first phase converted more than 1,700 security guards, and the second phase should complete the process, IMCOM officials said.

Those who join IMCOM will become part of a civilian workforce of 100,000 who "are making history, making a difference," according to Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of IMCOM, who stresses that point during his garrison town hall meetings.

IMCOM provides the services, facilities and infrastructure on Army posts worldwide. The civilian workforce provides consistent services designed to be a force multiplier to a warfighting organization's mission while enhancing Soldier, civilian and family well-being.

"What you do day to day is as important as what Soldiers are doing today as they walk the streets in Iraq and Afghanistan," Lynch recently told civilians at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

No one does a better job of taking care of Soldiers and families than the civilian workforce, Lynch added to a Fort Drum, N.Y. audience. "I see your efforts. It's a passion. You are touching people's lives."

IMCOM is federalizing the positions based on a congressional mandate. The Army expects a waiver allowing installations to use contract security guards, issued in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, to expire soon.

At Fort Drum, part of the first phase, officials worked to make the transfer "as transparent as possible, (while) maintaining the same level of support to the community," said Joe Margery, the garrison's director of emergency services.

While the guards' uniform and badge might be slightly different, he said, "we expect the same service, the same professionalism."

Throughout the entire process, "we have and will continue to ensure a well-coordinated transition that maintains our support to the mission, Soldiers and families, and Army communities," added Shreiner.

The second phase includes installations belonging to IMCOM's Northeast, Southeast and West regions. Those locations include:

Adelphi Laboratory Center, Md. (19 authorizations)
Fort Benning, Ga. (126 authorizations)
Fort Bragg, N.C. (210 authorizations)
Fort Belvoir, Va. (98 authorizations)
Fort Detrick, Md. (37 authorizations)
Fort Gordon, Ga. (63 authorizations)
Hunter AAF, Ga. (55 authorizations)
Fort Hood, Texas (258 authorizations)
Fort Jackson, S.C. (59 authorizations)
Fort Lee, Va. (64 authorizations)
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. (6 authorizations)
Fort Meade, Md. (63 authorizations)
Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va. (103 authorizations)
Fort Rucker, Ala. (78 authorizations)
Fort Stewart, Ga. (185 authorizations)
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. (26 authorizations)

At Fort Rucker, where the process has already started, garrison officials are learning from the experiences of installations in the first phase. And, like Fort Drum, "everything at the gates should be transparent," said John Tkac, chief of Rucker's physical security. "People coming on or leaving (the post) won't see any major new procedures or changes."

Once job announcements are made, all qualified applicants, including contractors currently holding such positions, are encouraged to compete for the openings, Shreiner said.

"Additionally, veterans' hiring preferences are in place," Shreiner said, "and previous experience with military security work is something we value."

For more information, visit the Army's Civilian Personnel On-Line site - www.cpol.army.mil - or USA Jobs - http://usajobs.opm.gov/ - and use the key words "security guard."