New Administrative career field fills support staff gap

  • Published
  • By Ellen Hatfield
  • 349th Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The administrative specialist career field, once identified as 702s, is back. But it's all new, transformed, as the Air Force saw a need for specialized command support staff (CSS).

Staff Sgt. Valerie Williams, 349th Mission Support Group knowledge information manager, has been working on the project for almost a year now. She talked about the background, changes, what it means for those in the career field, and how the Knowledge Information Center can better serve this wing.

With the quantum leap into the computer generation, the 702s became 3A0X1s, or information management specialists. In 2010, the communications career field transformed again, and the 3A0X1s became 3D0X1s, knowledge operations managers. According to Williams, CSS duties are not within the scope of a 3D0X1. "If 3D0X1s perform only CSS duties, they will not be qualified for senior leadership cyber (3D) positions," she said.

Enter the new 3A1X1 Admin career field. Residing within the units as a CSS, those specialists compete for leadership positions against peers. Williams reports that 85-90 percent of 3D0X1s became 3A1X1s as of May 1, 2014. The new 3A1X1 career field has the following duties:

·Administrative Support: Suspense and calendar management, reception, publications and forms.

·Human Resources: Fitness, awards and decorations, enlisted and officer performance reports and unit deployment management.

·Executive Support: support for distinguished visitors and conferences, ceremonies, escorts and correspondence.

·Postal/Official Mail: Finance and registry procedures, postal supplies.

·Commander Programs: Security managers, Periodic Health Assessment monitors, ancillary training, leave management, Government Purchase card and Travel card. The duties of the 3D0X1, who reside as a Knowledge Management Center within the communications squadrons/flights, include:

·Enterprise Information Management Technologies: This includes Cloud Technologies, SharePoint, Outlook, dashboards, metadata, naming standards, open data, and more.

·Information Access Programs: Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, For Official Use Only, Personally Identifying Information, Records Management.

·Information Security: Encryption, file/folder security, incident response.

·Knowledge Operations: Application of technology/processes to mission requirements, and mission analysis, consultancy, continuous process improvement.

The efficient KMC has already started servicing wing reservists during the July unit training assemblies, said Williams.

"I'm working with leadership on a Wing 3A1/3D0 realignment, to ensure every unit in the 349th AMW has the tools to have a functional CSS," she said. "This is a great opportunity we've been given, to create an efficient KMC and CSS in the 349th."