“Spring Forward”

At this time of year where the clock is moved forward we lose

an hour of sleep. We start to work on our yards, sign our chil-

dren up for camps and plan spring break vacations. Many of

you may be receiving orders to another duty station or pre-

paring to enter the civilian workforce. Spring time seems to

be a particularly busy time of year for the Career Resource

Center (CRC). It may be due to increased movements such as

leaving the military or changing duty stations. The Career Re-

source Center is here to assist military Service members and

their families going through the stressful process of EAS’ing

or PCS’ing. Whether you need assistance with planning your

move, creating a budget, or a workable resume to name a

few, we are here to help you succeed.

In This IssueIn This Issue

Info & Referral P.2

Education Office P.3

Station Library P.4

Financial Mgmt. P.5

Employment Asst. P.7

Transition Asst. P.8

Retired Services P.9

P&PD Advisors P.10

P&PDP Highlight P.11

Spring Calendar P.12-13

Final thoughts P.14

MCAS Cherry Point’s

Personal & Professional Development Program

Fred Mossop

Career And Resource Services Manager

Spring 2016

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Spring Into Fun!

As the weather begins to warm up, our minds begin to turn to warm weather fun. Contrary

to what you may hear, the Cherry Point/Havelock area has a lot to offer. If you are looking to

hunt, fish, camp or golf, activities where you can enjoy the outdoors can be found right

here, aboard MCAS Cherry Point. If you are looking to go outside the gates, there are many

local sites between the City of New Bern and Morehead

City areas. Whether you’re look to camp, gar-

den or kayak, the MCCS Outdoor Connection

has outdoor equipment to enhance your Spring-

time fun. Don’t forget to ask Outdoor Connec-

tion about the outdoor theater system!

For those of us that rather take a more laid back

approach, don’t forget the local downtown walk-

ing tours, Tryon Palace, NC lighthouses, and the

wild horses out in Beaufort NC.

Information, Resource and Relocation Program

Parents and Guardians! Now is the time to start

thinking about summer camp. Summer Camps

provide kids an opportunity to expand their

friendship circles, learn new skills and try new

things.

There are a variety of Summer Camp opportuni-

ties available. From day camps to specialty

camps– there is something available for all types

of kids.

Available slots typically fill up quickly, so you

don’t want to wait until the end of the school year

to start your search.

Cherry Treehouse Summer Camp (466-3861)

Military Teen Adventure Camps

Easter Seals UCP Summer Adventure Camp

New Bern Civic Theater Youth Summer Works shop Camp Corral

Eastern NC Elementary School Engineering

Camp

NC State Engineering Camp

For more information on programs, services and resources, please contact

Johneiquel D. Smith-Griffin, Information & Referral Specialist

(252) 466-6759

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College Credit for Military Training

Did you know your military experience might be worth college credit?

Colleges and universities are frequently becoming more and more military friendly. This

means the addition of campus veteran centers, school military liaisons, and more transfer-

ring of military training into college credits.

How do you get these credits? The American Council on Education (ACE) is the nation’s

leading higher education association and their mission is to promote, protect, and advo-

cate for students, faculty, and administrator in higher education. ACE provides recom-

mended credits for formal courses and occupations offered by all branches of the military.

All recommendations are based on reviews conducted by college and university faculty

members who are actively teaching in the areas they review (http://www.acenet.edu).

Once a Service member decides on a school, they send an official copy of their Joint Ser-

vices Transcripts (JST) to the appropriate school personnel to have an evaluation conduct-

ed. This person is usually the academic advisor. The registrar’s office then decides which

courses will count as transfer credit into their program. It is the sole discretion of each ed-

ucational institution to determine if they will accept these credits, however, many of them

will transfer at least a few credit hours. ACE has even gone as far as to create an ACE

CREDIT College and University Network, which is a group of more than 2,000 institutions of

higher learning that considers ACE credit. This list can be viewed at http://

www2.acenet.edu/CREDITCollegeNetwork/.

Both active-duty and veterans can access their JST by visiting https://jst.doded.mil/, and

creating an account which allows them to electronically send an official copy to their

school. The Marine Corps Voluntary Education Offices also have the capability to send offi-

cial transcripts and submit any needed corrections to the document. Not all schools accept

these credits, but it is worth the minimal time it takes to submit a copy to the college or uni-

versity and see what credits await you .

Education Office

T&E Bldg. (4335), Room 109

Ph. 252.466.3500 http://mccscherrypoint.com/programs/personal-professional-development/education-programs/

Education Office

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Library Services

The Station Library is located in Bldg. 298 E Street, between IPAC and DEERS/RAPIDS. Our hours of operation are: Mon-Sat 1000-1900 Sun 1300-1900.

The Library offers a Computer Lab, Study and Gaming Rooms, Café, Teen & Young Adult Area, Children’s Area, Free Wi-Fi, Free Fax & Printing, E-Reader Checkout, Latest Best Sellers, 3D printing, GoPro cameras for checkout, sewing machines for checkout, specialty baking pans for checkout, Children, Youth, & Teen classes in robotics/basic programming , quarterly adult oil painting events, as well as DVD & Game Rentals. Story hour is offered weekly on Wednesdays. Please visit our website for the dates and times http://mccscherrypoint.com/programs/personal-professional-development/library/

SUMMER READING STARTS IN JUNE!!!!!!!!!SUMMER READING STARTS IN JUNE!!!!!!!!!SUMMER READING STARTS IN JUNE!!!!!!!!!

The 2016 Summer Reading Program “Read for the Win!” begins on Monday June 13th. Children, teens, and adults are invited to participate for the opportunity to earn weekly reading incentives throughout the sum-mer. The library will also host special events every Friday throughout the reading program, culminating in a

Summer Reading Open House on Friday July 22nd!

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Technology Solutions for Non-Profits The U.S. is debating the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would author-

ize the U.S. military's blended retirement system (BRS). BRS is set to take effect January

2018. BRS is the result of an over 18 month study by the Military Compensation and Re-

tirement Modernization Committee (MCRMC). During the 18 month period, MCRMC re-

ceived feedback from over 100,000 Service members, veterans and families. They also

heard testimonies from veterans and family related military organizations. There was

widespread publicity due to Congressional hearings and anticipation of the changes to

the current military retirement options. The current High Three pension system was

passed in the 1980s with the hope of encouraging Service members to remain on active

duty longer than 20 years.

Service members (and those who join before 2018) are grandfathered in under the cur-

rent retirement system. Service members who joined after 1 January 2006 (and before

2018) will have the option to convert to BRS or remain in the current retirement system.

Service members joining after 1 January 2018 will be automatically enrolled in BRS.

Currently, only 11%* of Service members stay on active duty or in the Reserve to earn a

pension. The information gathered by the MCRMC hearings revealed that Service mem-

bers desire a more portable pension system with more money under their control.

Instead of the cliff vesting at 20 years, they want military benefits to resemble the civilian

401(k) and that of the federal civil-service retirement systems. Service members want to

leave active duty with a little more in their retirement accounts. Instead of a defined ben-

efits pension, people favor a defined contribution plan. Under BRS, this means that 85%*

of veterans leaving active duty will have retirement benefits! For more information please

contact the Personal Finance Management program to speak with a finance advisor, at

(252) 466-4201 or stop by the Career Resource Center in building 4335 room 217.

BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM – How will the new system affect you?

Personal Financial Management Program

6

Technology Solutions for Non-Profits It is anticipate that DoD will ask Congress

to change certain features of the BRS be-

fore it goes into effect. At this time, it is im-

portant to remember that financial educa-

tion is key to making informed decisions

concerning BRS.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is devel-

oping three on-line courses to train the

force. The first course will be a leadership

overview of the new BRS system. This

training will be available to Marine Corps

Recruiters and Career Planners. The second course will be for Service members eligible to

opt-into BRS. The third course will be for Service members who enter the military 1 January

2018 or after. In addition, on-line calculators are being developed that will give eligible Ser-

vice members the opportunity to compare the potential payouts of the current retirement

system with that of BRS.

The following is a one-page summary of the blended retirement system: http://the-

military-guide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Blended-military-retirement-graphic-

color.pdf

Remember we are here with resources and workshops to support your financial readiness!

The Personal Financial Management Program is located in the Training and Education Build-

ing, Room 217 or call 252-466-5837/4201.

Click here to obtain additional information on the program!

*Blended Retirement System: Hargis, Alan; Manpower & Reserve Affairs MP Division; brief

dtd 18 February 2016

BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM – How will the new system affect you?

Personal Financial Management Program Cont’d

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Family Member Employment Assistance

Preparing children for the future is vital to their success. With arri-

val of Spring, the Family Member Employment Assistant Program (FMEAP) recog-

nizes the need to provide teens with resources to assist future decisions. FMEAP is spring-

ing forth a new Teen Work seminar to empower teens with career resources and help ex-

pand their knowledge of volunteer and employment opportunities. Teens will discover how

volunteering will help them build a career portfolio that can be used when applying for jobs

or college. This workshop explores the power of networking and the awareness associated

with using social media.

During the Teen Work seminar, teens discover how thinking outside the box can lead to

great opportunities. This 1 ½ hour seminar explores the application process, volunteer op-

portunities and other valuable information which could lead to volunteering or employment

opportunities. This event is open to teens aged 14-18.

Employment Assistance Services

•Interviewing skills

•Resume adaptations based on job

•Wage negotiation techniques

•Job search strategies

•Assessing the current labor market

•Career counseling/assessments

•Filling unemployment gaps

•Monthly Career Fairs

•Employment Lab

Time to Spring Forward: Are You Ready?

For more information contact: Pat Bryant, Family Member Employment Specialist at 252 466-4201.

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Transition Assistance

DEVELOPING AN ENTREPRENURIAL STATE OF MIND

The 2-Day Entrepreneurship Track is an educational and training

program offered and facilitated by the Small Business Administration

(SBA) and the Personal and Professional Development staff at the Career Resource Center

in the Training and Education Building. The curriculum provides valuable assistance to tran-

sitioning Service members exploring business ownership or other self-employment opportu-

nities by leading them through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and providing

the foundational knowledge necessary to develop a business plan. Additionally, participants

are introduced to SBA resources to help access start-up capital and additional technical as-

sistance.

After completing the 2-Day Entrepreneurship Track, transitioning Service members and

their spouses can further their education through an instructor guided high-tech eight-week

online course taught by professors from a consortium of accredited universities led by the

Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. With as few as 10 hours a

week, participants, through connected and independent study, can work through the funda-

mentals of developing an actionable business plan and once completed, participants will

have the tools and knowledge they need to identify a business opportunity, draft a business

plan, and launch their enterprise.

According to the National Women’s Business Council, there are 97,114

veteran women-owned businesses in the United States. Veteran women

-owned firms across the country have total receipts of $15.8 billion.

Just 1.2% of all women-owned firms across the country are owned by

veteran women. The South has the highest representation (1.6%) fol-

lowed by the West (1.2%), the Midwest (1.1%) and the Northeast (0.7%).

The states with the largest number of veteran women-owned business-

es are: California (9,780), Texas (8,604), and Florida (8,274).

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which

is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out

your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They

somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

-Steve Jobs-

For more information on services provided by the Transition Readiness Program, please call 252.466.4201

or check out our webpage at click here.

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Please stop by the Retired Services office located in the Training and Education Building, Room 213,

or call (252) 466-4201 for more information.

RETIRED SERVICES OFFICE

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P&PD Advisors

Research consistently demonstrates that individuals

who enjoy over 75% of their work are more likely to

succeed and advance in their career. Career As-

sessments can help YOU uncover your personality, as

well as, your passions.

The Personal and Professional Development Program

proudly offers a new type of career assessment; The

Harrison Assessment. This assessment identifies and

measures the strength of your behavioral tendencies

(i.e. your preferences, interests, and tendencies for

specific behaviors). Understanding the strength of

specific traits can help you understand your success-

es and challenges, develop an improvement plan and

identify careers that fit YOUR STRENGTHS.

Call 252-466-4201 for a link-invitation to take the Har-

rison Assessment and then visit your PPDP Advisors

to review your career results and develop a plan to

grow a new, fulfilling career path.

The P&PD Advisors are located in room 213 of the Training and Education Building and can be contacted by phone by calling 466-4201.

LET THE HARRISON ASSESSMENT PLANT THE SEED TO A NEW CAREER PATH

**The Harrison Assessments, developed by Dr. Dan Harrison, is a state-of-the-art assessment tool that

enables employers to predict the job success of candidates with 80% to 90% accuracy, compared to most

personality tests that only produce about 55% accuracy. The Harrison Assessments integrates six key

behavioral assessments into one comprehensive assessment. Thus, it achieves a much greater ability to

accurately predict behavior and job success. The Harrison Assessments includes each of the following:

Values Inventory

Interest Inventory

Task Preferences Inventory

Personal Honesty Assessment

Work Environment Preferences

Personality/Motivation Assessment

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MCAS Cherry Point P&PDP Provides New Opportunities for Professional Development

MCAS Cherry Point’s Personal & Professional Development Program (PPDP) graduated its

first class of Career Development Facilitators. Graduates included a variety of military and

civilian professionals– including Career Planners, College Advisors, PPDP staff and HR

staff, all of whom assist individuals with their career development .

As certified Career Development Facilitators the participants are better equipped to as-

sist Service members, their families and our entire military community with the tools need-

ed to advance both personally and professionally thus boosting the career development

standards here at MCAS Cherry Point, and the surrounding community.

After three months of both classroom and online training, participants are now eligible for

the Global Career Development Facilitator credential; an important credential in the ca-

reer development field.

P&PDP HIGHLIGHT

Back Row (left to right): Instructor: Alicia Durham, Johneiquel Smith-Griffin, Kirkland Levarity, Vickie Hemenway, Daryl Patrick, Desiree Ruby, Peter Harris, Veronica Abreu, Instructors Teresa

Allen and Ranza Thurman

Front Row (left to right): Antoinette Reyna, Craig Harriman, and Hank Hingley

Not pictured: Mark Best, Tom Donaldson, Fred Mossop, and Instructor John McGovern

12

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SPRING SEASON/NEW BEGINNINGS

Springtime relates to rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth. Consider

your future when using these words. Can you picture starting school or narrowing down

your search on which career to pursue. Either choice may require a rebirth of who you

want to be or a renewal of commitments to pursue higher learning. As spring starts, the

hemisphere begins to warm significantly causing new plant growth to "spring forth" giv-

ing the season its name, just like your motivation when you head back to school to get that

college degree you have often dreamed of. Many flowering plants bloom this time of year.

Spring is seen as a time of growth, renewal, and of new life (both plant and animal) being

born. Resurrect your career this time of year with the professionals in Personal and Pro-

fessional Development.

Ranza Thurman (MSgt RET)

P&PD Branch Head

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”

-Harriet Ann Jacobs

~

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be .”

- Lao Tzu

Final Thoughts From the desk of our Branch Head