Federal Position Descriptions
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Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs

Air Force Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department of Defense
Responsibility
Management Scope

The assistant secretary leads a four-division department of more than 120 individuals that develops policy on, and provides oversight of manpower, military and civilian personnel issues; Reserve component affairs; and readiness support for the Air Force.4 One of the four divisions is an agency comprised of an agency that supports boards convened by the Air Force secretary to review personnel decisions made across the service.

Primary Responsibilities

• Supervises manpower, military and civilian personnel; Reserve component affairs; Equal Opportunity; health program benefits and entitlements; medical readiness; U.S. Air Force Academy; family readiness; sexual assault prevention and response programs; family advocacy; services; base exchanges and commissaries; morale, welfare and recreation programs; and strategic diversity integration for the Air Force
• Serves as an agent of the secretary within assigned policy and program domains, and provides guidance, direction and oversight for all matters pertaining to the formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs and budgets within his or her area of responsibility
• Works closely with other Headquarters Air Force (HAF) offices to assist the secretary in carrying out his or her responsibilities
• Works in cooperation with the deputy chief of staff of the Air Force for manpower, personnel and services; the surgeon general; the director of the Air National Guard; and the chief of Air Force Reserve, and with their respective offices and other HAF organizations, to assist the secretary in carrying out his or her responsibilities
• Leads teams that address strategic-level, long-range personnel and manpower issues associated with the administration’s agenda
• Oversees military and civilian personnel matters, including recruitment; accession; education; training and development; assignment; utilization; promotion; sustainment; compensation, entitlements and separation; sexual assault prevention and response programs; family readiness and support; and quality-of-life components
• Oversees medical readiness and health promotion of active and Reserve component members, including health care programs, benefits and entitlements for family members and retired members; the Drug Demand Reduction Program; and the Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Heath Resources Sharing Program
• Ensures diversity at all levels of the Air Force total force by planning strategic direction, and overseeing and guiding attraction, development, leadership and retention of a diverse total force to leverage the unique qualities of the citizenry we serve and to achieve mission excellence
• Serves as the director of equal opportunity pursuant to 29 CFR 1614.102, overseeing policy implementation and management matters intended to provide an equal opportunity to succeed to every member of the workforce; prohibit unlawful discrimination, including unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or in the case of civilian employees, disabling conditions or sexual orientations; and create a working environment free from the aforementioned discrimination, sexual harassment or assaults, and retaliation against protected whistleblowers
• Guides, directs and oversees the Air Reserve Component and Auxiliary Affairs, including the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve and Air Force oversight of the Civil Air Patrol
• Acts as the Department of Defense (DOD) executive agent for the National Science Foundation’s Polar Programs and DOD Civilian/Military Service Review Board
• Oversees policies addressing the prevention of and response to sexual assault during peacetime, contingencies, hostilities and war, and oversees Air Force family advocacy programs, including prevention and intervention of child and spouse treatment, domestic abuse and domestic violence
• Collaborates with the secretary of the Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Congress to advocate for resources (dollars, people, tools) as well as policy and legislative changes in support of strategic goals and objectives for assigned programs
• Serves as a member of the Air Force Council; Senior Readiness Oversight Council; Air Force Executive Steering Group; Joint Cross-Service Group (Education & Training); Military Health System Executive Review; Exchange Integration Executive Council; Defense Manpower and Reserve Affairs and deputy chief of staff for personnel meetings; Executive Review Board; Reserve Forces Policy Board; Defense Human Resources Board; Defense Quality of Life Executive Committee; DOD Executive Steering Group on Training Transformation; and Wounded and Injured Senior Oversight Committee5

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Appointed from civilian life (10 U.S.C. § 8016)
• Graduate level (M.A. or equivalent) degree and basic awareness (if not strong understanding) of military personnel and organization
• Leadership background in human resources in a large organization (higher-education institution, company or nonprofit) or awareness of the sensitive role and place of military human resource issues in the defense political sphere

Competencies

• Strong ability to work in cooperation with other stakeholders, both within the Air Force and other armed services, along with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congress and various military associations
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to engage and motivate individuals, both in the immediate organization and headquarters and across the force
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in complex organization, across party lines and with a variety of outside advocacy organizations to build consensus
• Ability to find elegant solutions to complicated personnel and budgetary problems, working under strict public scrutiny and very tight resources

Past Appointments
  • Gabe Camarillo (2016 to 2017): Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology); Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology); Associate, Kaufman Legal Group6
  • Daniel Ginsberg (2009 to 2013): Senior Defense Policy Adviser, Office of Sen. Patrick Leahy; Defense Legislative Assistant, Office of Sen. Patrick Leahy; Research Fellow, RAND Corp.7
  • Craig W. Duehring (2007 to 2009): Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs; U.S. Air Attaché to Indonesia; Deputy Commander for Operations and Vice Commander, 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Zaragoza AB, Spain8
AGENCY

Department of Defense

Mission: The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. To support and defend America's global interests along with the Joint Force, the Air Force focuses on five main missions: air and space superiority; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; mobility and lift; global strike; and command and control.

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)2

REPORTS TO

Secretary of the Air Force3

SENATE COMMITTEE

Armed Services

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Footnote
  1. http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/646435/gabe-camarillo.aspx
  2. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
  3. OPM
  4. http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/646435/gabe-camarillo.aspx
  5. OPM
  6. http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/646435/gabe-camarillo.aspx
  7. http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108466/daniel-b-ginsberg.aspx
  8. http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108063/craig-w-duehring.aspx
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