AFSC Opens New Office in Radcliff, Kentucky - 
AFSC is pleased to announce that we opened an office in Radcliff, Kentucky on 1 December 2009, just outside Fort Knox’s Wilson Gate. This new office reinforces AFSC’s commitment to the Army, Soldiers, and families and demonstrates the strong partnership AFSC is developing with the community and our customers. As a company focused on health and human capital, we are especially excited to be supporting the Army’s initiative to consolidate the Army's military personnel and recruiting functions in Fort Knox, KY to create an Army Human Resources Center of Excellence (HRCoE).
This new office will provide AFSC the opportunity to provide front line delivery service and support to the Army and the HRCoE. As a commitment to that, AFSC has hired Mr. Don Bartholomew as the Midwest Director of Human Capital to facilitate the transition of programs and staff to Fort Knox and to direct the continuing program delivery. Mr. Bartholomew retired from the Army as a Colonel in the Adjutant General Corps after serving 27 years on active duty. AFSC has experienced significant growth in the past 2 years. We are excited about the momentum that has been generated and the strong future of the company.
Four ROQSTARs unveiled at U.S. Army Awards Ceremony - 
MG Sean Byrne, HRC Commander, presided over an awards ceremony on Monday, 16 November 2009 in the Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center, honoring Army and AFSC staff for exceptional service in the wake of the recent Ft Hood crisis. Four AFSC staff members were recognized by HRC Leadership and awarded the AFSC ROQSTAR Award: Nina Cox, Jody Nunnery, Robert Rice, and Stephanie Johnson.
From the time of the incident, the notification cell dealt with a tremendous increase in the case load, notifying the Families of 13 deceased Soldiers and over 30 wounded. The emotional difficulty of telephonic notifications to the Families of the wounded are magnified tremendously when the Families are already primed to hear the worst. Ms. Cox and Mr. Nunnery were selected by HRC Leadership along with a similar number of Soldiers for recognition out of the 27 case managers in the cell based on rising to the occasion and shouldering a disproportionate share of the load.
The travel and transportation section processed 180 travel orders (equivalent to 50% of a month's work) in less than 48 hours to ensure that the Families could attend the nationally-televised memorial service. Of the 8 case managers in the section, HRC Leadership recognized one Soldier and Mr. Rice for their exceptional contribution.
Out of the 20 case managers in the main case management section, Ms. Johnson was the only contractor singled out for recognition. Ms. Johnson ensured that all CAOs were notified of the travel guidance, volunteering to stay until the mission was complete. As a result, Families were informed in a timely manner that enabled them to attend the memorial service.
Sarah Kim Promoted to VP of Business Operations - 
On Thursday, October 22nd 2009, Ms. Sarah Kim was elected to Vice President of Business Operations. AFSC CEO, Mr. Geoff Deutsch made the surprise announcement to Ms. Kim in the presence of her husband Mr. Taye Kim and oldest daughter Taryn Kim in front of a gathering of nearly 40 AFSC employees.“
Mr. Deutsch stated, "Sarah has made remarkable achievements in advancing our rapidly growing organization in just over one year since she joined the firm. She is a proven leader in the industry who understands our business, but most importantly she is focused on teamwork and the AFSC mission." In her acceptance speech, Sarah thanked Mr. Deutsch and the Board of Directors for their solid support and addressed the staff with encouragement. She stated that this honor is shared with all of them due to their incredible drive to support our clients. Their achievements are what have made AFSC successful.
The VP of Business Operations is responsible for oversight and management of all corporate contracts and adherence to delivery requirements. This position works closely with human resources, finance and the AFSC delivery Directors to ensure seamless business operations.
Brodie Thomson Promoted to Senior Vice President: Research & Development - At AFSC’s annual meeting, Brodie Thomson was unanimously elected to Senior Vice President of Research and Development leading the Federal Consulting Practice. AFSC Chairman Gen Brad Hosmer announced the news to Mr. Thomson, expressing the Board’s gratitude for his exemplary commitment. “Brodie represents all that AFSC stands for, combining the heart for our mission and the brains for our business” says Hosmer, adding “We’ve stayed true to our mission and created an environment that attracts the caliber of individuals such as Mr. Thomson who chose to pursue accelerated growth opportunities here. It’s a special joy to reward the next generation of leaders.“
With the support of Mr. Thomson, AFSC is now believed to be the fastest growing small business in the health and human capital military markets. He credits AFSC’s R&D model which blends innovation with management consulting best practices. “Our blending of innovation and delivery is providing our clients a new level of quality, impact and speed” says Thomson, “We serve clients in tremendously high-visibility, high-mission markets, where problems or delays can mean lives and is measured through pain and suffering.”
Mr. Thomson‘s R&D portfolio at AFSC includes several areas where government most needs transformational breakthroughs, including community reintegration of our wounded and suicide reduction.
Abroad Horizons 
Valerie Thwing, AFSC’s Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager, is the first recipient of the AFSC Challenge Coin. The Challenge Coin, engraved with the 6 AFSC core values, was presented to Valerie by AFSC’s President, Geoffrey Deutsch, for her outstanding commitment and achievement in recruiting and hiring over 100 employees in the past 9 months.
The recently developed AFSC Awards and Recognition Program was formally launched on 5 October 2009 when the AFSC Program Directors recommended that Valerie be recognized for championing the core values of mission, respect, integrity, excellence, innovation, and excellence. Valerie will be on assignment in Italy for the next year where she will be performing strategic corporate functions. Geoff Deutsch commented during the coin presentation that, “Valerie has brought the seasoned talents of superior management consulting professional to the HR Department.Our corporate capacity to attract, recruit, and retain staff is truly unprecedented by any company operating in our market space. This would not have been achieved without the commitment that she has shown to our mission.”
AFSC Analyst Recognized as an Outstanding Volunteer - AFSC Analyst Robert Rice has been recognized as an outstanding volunteer by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). TAPS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Veterans Service Organization, whose mission is to provide comfort and support to all who are grieving the loss of a loved one in military service.
Mr. Rice serves as an AFSC Analyst for the Army’s Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center (CMAOC), Building on his work experience of providing compassionate and professional support to bereaved Army families, Mr. Rice stepped forward and volunteered for the annual TAPS Youth Good Grief Camp. After completing a training session, he devoted three days to mentoring young children who have lost a loved one in military service. The Camp Director, Ms. Heather Campagna, acknowledged Mr. Rice’s contributions and stated, “He has made a positive and lifelong impact on the Families of our nation’s Fallen, and we are honored that he chose to support these incredible children who have sacrificed so much for our country.”
AFSC celebrates Mr. Rice’s spirit of service, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition. Well done, Robert!
AFSC Employee selected as a Citizen Services Specialist - AFSC is pleased to announce that Fabiana Villamor, one of our outstanding employees, has been selected by the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs as a Citizen Services Specialist in the Overseas Citizens Services, Office of Children’s Issues. This office is actively engaged in the many matters relating to children and families as they cross international borders. The Office provides specific services to parents in intercountry adoptions and international family abductions.
Ms. Villamor has been working in AFSCs Federal Programs as a Case Manager for the Army’s Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center (CMAOC). CMAOC assists and supports Army Families during the emotionally stressful time of bereavement. Ms. Villamor has provided functional support and procedural oversight over all aspects of casualty case management for Fallen Soldiers, ensuring their swift and dignified return to their Families.
AFSC selected Ms. Villamor because of her case management experience and skill at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. During her tenure with AFSC, she has been able to build on her extensive case management expertise while providing our clients with compassionate and comprehensive support. She is recognized as one of our strongest case managers, whose expertise is sought by superiors and peers alike. We congratulate Ms. Villamor on her new appointment, and are confident she will continue to provide excellent and caring service to American families. Best of luck, Fabiana!
AFSC employee selected for a Government role supporting Wounded Warriors - COL Joe Materia (USA Retired) was selected to serve as the Associate Director for the SOC/OIPT. He will be responsible for all support to Wounded, Ill and Injured Senior Oversight Committee and related Overarching Integrated Product Team to include coordination of SOC/OIPT activities with VA and other departments and agencies. Joe was a manager at AFSC for the past 12 months where he was actively involved in the stand-up and support to the SOC/OIPT.
AFSC All-Star goes to Harvard - AFSC Technical Writer Sarah Monson will be attending Harvard University this fall for a one-year Masters program in Human Development and Psychology, from the Graduate School of Education. Sarah hopes to use her degree to write and report on education issues and to create curriculum and educational programming. She has participated in AFSC projects including the development of the "Keeping It All Together" handbook for families of Wounded Warriors, the Recovery Care Coordinator curriculum, and the joint DoD/VA Interagency Program Office.
AFSC Employee supporting the Army Reserve - Second Lieutenant (2LT) LaRonna Otis, who recently became an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, reported to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for a three-month Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) beginning on 7 Jun 09. Originally from Gary Indiana, LaRonna has spent 18 years in the Army Reserves. Her Area of Concentration (AOC) as a Reserve officer will be military personnel (Human Resources). LaRonna has been a highly successful and dedicated AFSC employee and on 1 June left her position where she served as the Benefits and Compensation Senior Analyst in support of the Medical and Health Affairs Office, ASA M&RA. LaRonna will re-join the AFSC family upon completion of her training and will be ready to continue her outstanding contributions of enhancing the lives of Service members and their Families.
AFSC’s VP Honored with a General Henry Doctor Award - Brodie Thomson, AFSC’s Vice President of Research and Development was recently honored with a General Henry Doctor Award for putting the client’s goals ahead of AFSC’s.
Thomson saved the government nearly $1 million by finding excess call center capacity rather than building a new one. When the client reached out to AFSC for help, Thomson merged a partnership between the client and another existing government sector which provided excess capacity to do the work at no cost. This action cost AFSC the revenue but more importantly, helped a government client save money. “Brodie did the right thing,” said Geoffrey Deutsch, CEO for AFSC.
The award named after a distinguished AFSC founding Board member who passed away in 2008 was presented at the Board of Directors meeting to Thomson in March. General Henry Doctor was noted for his commitment to the mission of service. As the U.S. Army’s first African-American Adjutant General (TAG), Doctor was known for his dedication to “doing the right thing.” General Colin Powell (ret) stated at his funeral “Everyone looked up to Hank as a living example of the kind of person we all hope to become.”
“Virtually every defense contractor has some mission or value statement that promises high ethics and mission focus,” said Deutsch. “But very few, if any, practice that promise at the level we do,” he added. After spending the first 122 years as a nonprofit, AFSC’s heart remains in the right place – with the clients it serves. “Our heart will always make us different,” said Deutsch. “We will always do the best thing for our clients, even when it hurts us financially.”
AFSC Launches National R&D Laboratory - The Veterans Coalition has selected AFSC to lead the development of the Veterans Innovation Center – a state-of-the-art R&D Laboratory designed to dramatically accelerate innovation in veterans’ services.
AFSC has been awarded the contract to manage the Veterans’ Coalition Innovation Center – a state-of-the-art R&D Laboratory designed to dramatically accelerate innovation in Veterans’ services. All AFSC services are provided pro bono. America cares tremendously about our veterans, and spends billions of dollars every year to support veterans through various government and non-profit programs. But these resources often become quickly outdated as the needs of veterans continue to change, and as external breakthroughs in science, technology and medicine occur. A coalition founded by the nation’s five largest Veterans’ Service Organizations, has launched The Veterans’ Coalition Innovation Center (VIC) that applies best-in-class industry models to veterans’ research and development. It is engineered to dramatically accelerate improvement in veterans’ services, and is already delivering on that promise. |
