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Junior Officers in the PHS Commissioned Corps
 
This article kicks off the first official column in the Commissioned Corps E-Bulletin for junior officers in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps). The Junior Officer Advisory Group (JAOG) was chartered to provide advice and consultation to the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), Chief Professional Officers, Professional Advisory Committees (PACs), and other Corps groups on issues relating to professional practice and personnel activities that affect junior officers. JOAG also acts as a conduit for information regarding important developments on policy and career development issues, as well as professional development materials aimed at helping junior officers jump-start their careers. JOAG members are from all Operating Divisions/Staff Divisions/non-Department of Health and Human Services organizations to which Corps officers are assigned, categories, and geographic locations. Officers at temporary grade O-4 and below are welcome to join as general members or apply for voting membership.
 
JOAG History
 
In 1999, the leadership of the Corps recognized the critical importance of developing a means for the Corps to obtain advice and consultation from its junior officers in formulating policy and developing career-related programs. RADM Michael Blackwell, OSG Chief of Staff at that time, convened a meeting of selected junior officers and formalized the Junior Officer Ad-Hoc Advisory Group (JOAHAG). The JOAHAG membership was charged to develop and implement an advisory group for Corps junior officers. The first priority of the JOAHAG was to assess the needs of junior officers and to develop an advisory group to meet those assessed needs. The second priority of the JOAHAG was to develop the Charter to govern the advisory group. The third priority of the JOAHAG was to formulate and implement committees to promote recruitment, leadership, and professional development of junior officers in the Corps.
 
The JOAHAG successfully developed and implemented the JOAG. On 7 December 2001, VADM David Satcher, Surgeon General, officially chartered JOAG.
 
So, how far has JOAG come?
 
Since these humble beginnings, JOAG has grown to be a valuable asset to the Corps and has acted as an effective tool for getting the junior officer voice heard. In the 2004-2005 operating year (October through September) JOAG accomplished a number of things, including the following:
 
  • Provided comments and recommendations on five important draft Commissioned Corps Personnel Manual policy revisions including: transformation options; 6th precept; Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (JRCOSTEP) commissions; non-departmental details; and award criteria for the Field Medical Readiness Badge, National Emergency Preparedness Award, and the Crisis Response Service Award.
  • Drafted a position paper addressing junior officer deployment concerns, and presented these concerns and solution options to the Office of Commissioned Corps Force Management (OCCFM) and Office of Force Readiness and Deployment leadership.
  • Provided JOAG representation to the following policy workgroups: Lewin Group focus groups concerning transformation; warrant officer policy workgroup; deployment/readiness workgroup; and the 6th precept workgroup.
  • Established workgroups to accomplish the following 2004-2005 agenda items: expand JOAG activities at the Commissioned Officers Association (COA) conference; establish ‘virtual’ COA branches; address deployment and mission concerns; establish a JOAG budget; expand the JOAG Web site; support the OSG’s Year of the Healthy Child initiative; and evaluate the 6th precept policy proposal.
  • Established JOAG liaisons to the following Corps leadership groups: the Surgeon General’s Policy Advisory Council; the PAC Chairs’ Policy Advisory Committee; the COA National Board of Directors; all of the PACs; and the Minority Officers Liaison Council (MOLC).
In addition to these accomplishments, JOAG established the prestigious Junior Officer of the Year Award and JOAG Excellence Award, bestowed for the first time at the 2005 COA conference; held the first fundraiser; revised the bylaws; developed and implemented a well-attended and well-received professional development workshop at the COA conference; identified and provided mentors for JRCOSTEP officers; and continued the outreach to new call-to-active-duty officers with informational brochures and JOAG welcoming packets.
 
Where is JOAG going?
 
With all the creativity and enthusiasm of our membership, JOAG had some great discussions and meetings recently about where the group would like to go. Some goals for next year include:
 
  • Continue to provide comments and recommendations to OSG, OCCFM, and the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations on important policy and personnel issues.
  • Expand JOAG’s presence at COA’s 2006 professional conference to have a professional tabletop display and informational materials; include a more comprehensive professional development workshop to be recorded and disseminated to field officers for reference; have a social mixer with junior officers from our sister services; and expand fundraising efforts.
  • Establish a publications workgroup to develop and manage contributed articles to the Commissioned Corps E-Bulletin, COA’s Frontline, The Officer magazine (Reserve Officers Association), and the JOAG newsletter.
  • Establish a sister service liaison workgroup in order to forge relationships with junior officers in other services, and to facilitate esprit de corps among uniformed junior officers.
  • Continue to inspire and motivate junior officers with talks from members of the senior leadership.
  • Continue to support the Surgeon General’s agenda.
  • Develop for the JOAG Web site an information repository for career development and force readiness materials.
In JOAG, as in other professional groups, junior officers have the opportunity to make their voices heard on important policy issues, thereby giving themselves a stake in future careers. JOAG is always looking for energetic, enthusiastic, creative members to join! JOAG is a great place to start building leadership skills in the Corps and is guaranteed to enrich your career. Not only will you have the opportunity to really begin to identify with the peers, the Group, and the Corps, you can build friendships that will last the duration of your career, network successfully, and understand what officership truly is.
 
Please come on out and join us! We look forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas!
 
LT Michelle Colledge LT Claudine Samanic
JOAG Chair JOAG Chair-Elect
 
NOTE: For more information about JOAG, visit our Web site at http://www.joag.org or contact LT Michelle Colledge (Colledge.Michelle@epa.gov), JOAG Chair, or LT Claudine Samanic (samanicc@mail.nih.gov), JOAG Chair-elect.
 
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