• Readiness and Deployment Branch

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ) has posted these new and revised policies to the Commissioned Corps Management Information System (CCMIS).

  Key changes in these policies include:

  COMMISSIONED CORPS DIRECTIVE “DEPLOYMENT AND READINESS” (CCD 121.02) The Secretary has provided enhanced authorities to rapidly deploy the Commissioned Corps (Corps) to respond to urgent or emergency public health needs. This CCD authorizes the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) to establish requirements to ensure the readiness of Corps officers deployed to respond to urgent or emergency public health needs. This is the second issuance of this CCD that was last issued in 2007.

  NEW: COMMISSIONED CORPS INSTRUCTION (CCI) 241.02 “DEPLOYMENT OF CORPS OFFICERS” This CCI establishes policy, assigns responsibilities and requirements to which Corps officers must adhere to while on active duty, and prescribes procedures to ensure efficient deployment of the Corps for response activities. This is the first issuance to outline officer responsibilities and requirements for improved deployment.

  NEW: POM 821.76 “DEPLOYMENT PROCEDURES” This outlines the responsibilities and management of the implementation of the “Rapid Deployment Unit” structure for Corps response teams, including mission critical criteria, details for on-call rotations, deployment conduct, and deployment evaluations.

  Does this policy apply to me?

  CCD 121.02 “Deployment and Readiness” and CCI 241.02 “Deployment of Corps Officers” apply to all Regular Corps and Ready Reserve Corps officers except for Junior/Senior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program, Uniforms Service University of the Health Science medical students, and officers in long-term training. In addition, officers detailed to a branch of the Armed Forces of a non-Health and Human Services (HHS) are deployed in accordance with their respective Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and/or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

  POM 821.76 applies to all Corps officers on extended active duty.

  How will these new deployment policies impact current Corps response teams?

  For the time being, there will be no changes to the current Corps response structure. Officers will remain on their current team/roster assignments. CCHQ will review the current response structure and make changes needed to fully implement the new deployment policies.

  When will these changes be implemented?

  CCHQ plans to complete its review of the current Corps response structure and implement changes by early 2020. In the meantime, the current response structure will remain in place and the Corps will continue to deploy officers accordingly. All officers must continue to maintain basic readiness and remain ready to deploy during their on-call months.

  What will the change mean to me?

  The changes to the Corps’ deployment policies were implemented to improve the Corps’ ability to rapidly respond to urgent or emergency public health needs. Officers must, at all times, remain basic ready and stand ready to deploy when called.

  How do I know what deployment team I will be assigned to?

  At this time, officers will remain assigned to their current team/roster. If you are unsure of what team you are assigned to, please log into Readiness Self Service in the Officer Secure Area (OSA) of the Commissioned Corps Management Information System (CCMIS). Under the ‘Deployment Information’ menu, select the ‘Team Information’ banner. CCHQ will notified officers when the new deployment team structure is in place.

  How does this impact upcoming missions (e.g., State of the Union)?

  Upcoming missions will not be affected.

  Why is supervisor approval no longer required?

  CCD 121.02, “Deployment and Readiness,” eliminated the requirement to obtain supervisory approval to deploy officers stationed with HHS OPDIVS/STAFFDIVS. This change is intended to improve the Corps’ ability to rapidly respond to urgent or emergency public health needs. Officers assigned to non-HHS Agencies will continue to be deployed in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding between the Corps and the non-HHS organization.

  Will my supervisor be notified of this change in policy?

  Corps leaders have met regularly with leadership from HHS OPDIVS/STAFFDIVS and non-HHS Agencies to communicate this policy change. CCHQ will work with Agency Liaisons to notify supervisors of this policy change.

  How do I update my supervisor information in the Readiness Self-Service portal?

  Officers are required to provide current supervisor information to CCHQ. To update your supervisor information, please log into Readiness Self Service in the OSA of CCMIS. Under the ‘Personal Information’ menu, select the ‘Supervisor Information’ banner. Select ‘Edit’ to update contact information for your current supervisor. Select ‘Delete’ to remove the previous supervisor and ‘Add Supervisor Info’ to add your new supervisor.

  How does an officer get categorized as Mission Critical?

  POM 821.76 outlines specific criteria for the mission critical designation. CCHQ will establish procedures for Agency Liaisons to submit lists of mission critical officers to CCHQ.

  As a supervisor, I need my officer and cannot have them deploy. Can I stop them from deploying?

  CCD 121.02, “Deployment and Readiness,” eliminated the requirement to obtain supervisory approval to deploy officers stationed with HHS OPDIVS/STAFFDIVS. Officers assigned to non-HHS organizations will continue to be deployed in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding between the Corps and the non-HHS Agency. All Corps officers must be basic ready and available to deploy during their on-call months. Any periods of unavailability must be reported in accordance with established procedures. CCHQ will work with Agency Liaisons to implement procedures to report officer availability.

  Who/how do I report my deployment availability to?

  CCHQ will work with Agency Liaisons to implement procedures to report officer availability. Until these procedure changes are implemented, officers should continue to report availability when contacted by the Readiness and Deployment Branch.

  How do I update my contact information in CCHQ?

  It is vital for officers to have updated information on file with CCHQ. All officers should periodically update the following information in Readiness Self Service: Work Phone, Work Email, Personal Cell Phone, Personal Email, Airport (departure airport for deployment and training), Language Skills, Passport Information, Certifications, and Professional Specialties. This information is used to both communicate with and deploy officers.

  If I still have questions, where can I get more information?

  CCHQ will provide updates via the Commissioned Corps Modernization webpage in the CCMIS OSA. Updates will also be shared on the splash screen of Readiness Self Service.

  If you have additional questions, please contact the Readiness and Deployment Branch at RedDOG@hhs.gov.
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