Keeping tabs on the mission

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Technical Sgt. Carl Braxton, 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group NCO in charge of customer service for the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team, is responsible for ensuring personnel deploying into and out of Iraq and the Persian Gulf Region are squared away and accounted for. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Michael O'Connor)

Keeping tabs on the mission

ROCK SOLID WARRIOR

Published April 18, 2008
386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Tech. Sgt. Carl Braxton

NCO in charge of customer service, Personnel Support for Contingency Operations (PERSCO)

Home unit/base: Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas

How do you support the mission here? The PERSCO team here provides personnel program support to the warfighter; active-duty, Guard and Reserve. I provide accountability/force management of deployed personnel by conducting in/out-processing actions and forward deployment/temporary duty travel actions. I assist members by providing counceling and acting as a liaison on military personnel flight functions such as reenlistments/extensions, assignments, promotions, evaluations, and awards and decorations. I'm also the wing focal point for permanent party personnel acting as their liaison with homestation units and MPFs to accomplish a myriad of personnel actions.

How many times have you deployed and what makes this one unique? This is my first deployment.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? In a lot of ways my job here would be the same as if I were working in the commander's support staff back at home. In my current assignment at AFPC I get to see first-hand the effects of the guidance that we've provided to the field and where we can improve and clarify.