Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) Meridian, Mississippi, convened the inaugural Personnel Specialist "A" School course for Navy Pay and Personnel Support Command general schedule civilian employees and active-duty Sailors, July 25.

The course is the result of a study conducted by the Office of the Secretary of the Navy into the accountability of pay processes for military.

The determination was made to provide professional training for the civilian personnel support workforce to increase skillsets and improve job performance in handling pay, entitlements, travel pay and management of military pay records.

The 15 civilian employees came from various personnel support detachments.

"This course will provide the basic knowledge and skills required to prepare attendees for initial or entry level performance," explained Cmdr. Michael Moran, NTTC commanding officer. "This initiative will assist in the training of the civilian workforce at various personnel support detachments around the country, specifically those slated to work with the Personnel Administrative Support System."

Capt. Derric Turner, commanding officer for the Center for Service Support (CSS) in Newport, Rhode Island, the echelon III command in charge of all support training, was on hand for the historic first class.

"The information in the course is applicable to all Sailors serving in our Navy as personnel specialists, so it's imperative that all of our civilian professionals share in the keen understanding of the processes that contribute to accurate and timely accounting of all military pay matters," Turner said. "I personally commend each of you for your commitment to improve your skillsets in order to provide superior service to all our sailors serving around the world."

Aaron U. Bolin and Master Chief Personnel Specialist Paul Smith from the Performance Management Division (PERS 21), Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee, also welcomed the civilian students.

The personnel specialists maintain and audit pay and personnel records for military personnel. The Personnel Specialist "A" School is three weeks in duration and provides the foundation for performance in the rating.

"The feasibility of CSS building curriculum specifically designed for civilian personnel working as personnel specialists are presently in the early stages of discussion," said Master Chief Personnel Specialist Paul A. Smith II, rating technical advisor for the personnel specialist rating at Bureau of Navy Personnel (PERS-2). "The feedback received from the civilians attending the "A" school will determine the path PERS-2 will take in furthering civilian training and workforce development."

On Oct. 1, 2005, the personnelman and disbursing clerk ratings, both established in 1948, merged to create the personnel specialist rating.

"Our instructor, Joey Jefcoat has been fabulous and provided us with some very, very good information that I will be able to take back and apply at my job," said Fran Caracappa from Personnel Support Detachment Afloat in Norfolk when asked about her training experience. "I've only been shadowing at my job for about two months now."

Naval Technical Training Center Meridian, Mississippi staff includes military instructors, DoD civilians and contractor personnel responsible for providing technical training in the administrative and logistics ratings to more than 2,600 Sailors annually.

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