Norfolk District streams informational video teleconference for potential deployees

Posted July 20, 2010
By David Kidd
Norfolk District Public Affairs

07/20/2010 - NORFOLK — Volunteers are always needed to support the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers overseas contingency operations. Currently, there are six Norfolk District employees serving in Afghanistan, with five others scheduled to deploy within a year.

To help educate Corps employees who have expressed an interest in deployment, the Corps' North Atlantic Division held a video teleconference, or VTC, July 7, to explain overseas contingency operations and the Corps' family readiness program.

The VTC was presented by Kirsten Smyth, deployment coordination administrator and Connie Morinello, regional community support coordinator.

"I believe family support is a very important aspect in educating and encouraging Corps employees to deploy," said Smyth.

Jan Van Houten, a Norfolk District emergency management specialist, also serves as a deployment coordinator. Her responsibilities include recruiting volunteers and submitting resumes, processing pre-deployment paperwork and medical evaluations, arranging transportation for deployees to the Corps Deployment Center in Winchester, Va., supervising the family readiness support program, processing awards and helping with post-deployment support.

Lois Wilkins, who is the district's family readiness coordinator, provides families with a point of contact within the Corps and regularly communicates with deployees and their families by email and social media sites like Facebook.

During the pre-deployment stage, Wilkins ensures that wills, powers of attorney and passports for family members are processed. She also adds that personal touch by coordinating and sending care packages to district deployees and organizing farewell ceremonies.

"Thanks to Jerri Wehrle, who recently turned over the district program to me, the district has a great family readiness program," Wilkins added. "I enjoy working with our deployees and their families before, during and after deployment, and try to make this transition in their lives as comfortable as possible."

Finding employees who are willing to deploy for six months to a year can be difficult at times. Paula Van Antwerp, wife of Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, chief of engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the first family readiness coordinator, believes "if we can win the hearts of the families during the recruiting stage, then the decision process will be much easier."

She knows firsthand the hardships of having a loved one deploy overseas and uses her experiences to help other families.

"When my husband and I thought about family support, we didn't want it to be a burden," said Mrs. Van Antwerp. "We needed to have people available who have the training and resources to provide families with answers. This program does that."

To date, more than 25 Norfolk District employees have deployed to support overseas contingencies since July 2003.

For more information about deployment opportunities, contact Jan Van Houten in Emergency Management and visit: http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/OverseasDeployment.asp.