SHAPE Casteau - Commanding Officer's Communiqués
CFPO 5048 7010 Casteau, Belgium

January 2010
Welcome to 2010
PERs
Postings
Career Management
H1N1 Virus Update
PE Review Update
PSP Travel Subsidization
Community Update
Upcoming Events

WELCOME TO 2010
From the many adventures I’ve heard about over the past few days, I can state that this Christmas Break was very much enjoyed by all. Granted, the crazy weather did force some creative travel plans. Cruises, trips abroad and family visits seemed to be the general themes, and I definitely have the impression that most of us had a chance to unwind and recharge. Carolyn and I spent a week in Dublin and truly enjoyed its Celtic charm. If I haven’t bumped into you yet in the hallways, welcome back, and please accept my sincerest best wishes for the New Year. Meilleurs vœux et bonne année!

From an administrative perspective, the New Year also kicks off some major activities that affect most if not all of us: PERs; postings; and career management. Of course, all three are interconnected and I provide some amplification in the following paragraphs.

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PERs
I have recently provided additional direction to all supervisors on PER preparation and ranking boards for this year. The process and system remain largely unchanged from last year, and SHAPE ranking boards will take place 29 Jan 10 and 3 Feb 10. If not already done so, make sure you’ve connected with your PER writer and, as required, those upon whom you write. Also make sure your Military Personnel Record Resume (MPRR) is current, because all levels of ranking/merit boards use these essential documents. Supervisors have been provided copies of MPRRs as well.

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POSTINGS
While personnel changes will not be as numerous this year as last, proper preparation and planning remain pivotal to a positive posting. Det Casteau will be giving a detailed posting briefing, to all members and their spouses who are departing this year, by the end of February. This briefing will include the latest from IRP, Customs, movements, and of course, our Detachment. To fellow Shapians who are departing, I recommend you ensure that your VTA forms are completed as soon as possible, and certainly before the posting season is truly upon us. Details on the Posting Briefing will be promulgated shortly.

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CAREER MANAGEMENT
While the CF does have a well-established process for managing personnel, it is also worth noting that you are really your own best career manager. Of course, you need to work with your chain of command to help reach your goals, but communication with your respective career managers is always essential to ensure expectations and requirements are understood by all sides. Ensure you do have a dialogue with your career manager, and use the chain of command to support your plan. A key tool in interfacing with career managers and our personnel system is the Employee Member Access Application (EMAA). If you haven’t been to this site lately, please use it, and ensure your posting preferences are up to date. You can also use it to verify your APRV status and obtain last year’s merit ranking.

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H1N1 VIRUS UPDATE
The first wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic is behind us. I am very satisfied with the manner in which Dr. Bilodeau and his team kept us healthy and aware, and I offer my many thanks. You should know that there is a very real possibility of another wave of H1N1 or other flu-related illness in the next few months. High-risk persons (children, pregnant women, and the elderly) should also be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Dr. Bilodeau advises that the US Immunization Clinic is offering vaccines from 0800 – 1000 hrs daily, and that no appointment is required. As before, proper hygiene and contact-avoidance remain effective defence mechanisms.

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PE REVIEW UPDATE
As you read this, the two year-long process known as the NATO Peacetime Establishment (PE) Review should be 99% completed. As I briefed previously, no CF member tours at SHAPE have been shortened by the PE review, although a small number of you do get to change jobs. There is still some room for flexibility within SHAPE and NCSA organizations for making minor in-house adjustments, but for the most part, negotiations are complete and jobs have been assigned. I will publish the final list under separate correspondence, but be aware that there is very little change from what I distributed last October. If you have any questions, please come and see me at the DNMR office.

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PSP TRAVEL SUBSIDIZATION
Your Unit Fund (UF) Committee, lead by LCol Bob Mosnier, has proposed a novel and in my opinion effective way of improving the way in which we allocate Unit Fund travel subsidization funding through PSP. The idea is that we utilize a points system whereby each point equates to a specific Euro amount, and members can apply their points to the PSP trips as they desire throughout the year. In this way, PSP organizes the trips and everyone has the same subsidy potential, regardless of situation. Points are provided to each UF member, which of course includes our families, and will be tracked by the PSP Coordinator. I have asked the UF to provide a detailed proposal to all of you for consideration and vote, similar to what we do for the Mess. Therefore, expect a UF general meeting, by the end of March, at which we will discuss this as well as other upcoming Unit Fund innovations.

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COMMUNITY UPDATE
Canadians at SHAPE have very successfully raised funds this year, proving beyond any doubt that our community has Heart (and yes, I am borrowing this sentiment from none less than Don Cherry). Last September, our Terry Fox Run generated 8,500 Euro for cancer research in Belgium, and then our Christmas Market in November scooped up another 10,000 Euro for both our Canadian Section school and a local charity. Your recent, generous donations to the National Defence Workplace Charitable Campaign (what we used to know as the United Way campaign) amounted to a record-breaking 14,000 Euro! Considering that we already had raised 2500 Euro last May through Make-a-Wish and that we also participated substantially in the Share-a-Meal program, our Canadian Community, through exceptional dedication, hard work, and team spirit, has generated over 35,000 Euro for very worthy causes. As I said in my last communiqué, you all make me very proud to be a Canadian.

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UPCOMING EVENTS
Please continue to monitor the community calendar that Teresa Mosnier publishes on a regular basis. Here is our current plan: