Q&A: Tommy T. Thomas
Written by Mark Fitzgerald
MAE 2010 Volume: 5 Issue: 2 (March)
Working to Improve the Lives of
Servicemembers and Their Families
Tommy T. Thomas
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
Military Community and Family Policy
Tommy T. Thomas assumed the duties of deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy in May 2009. In that role he is responsible for policy, advocacy, and oversight of all community support to servicemembers and families such as quality of life issues; family and casualty assistance; morale, welfare and recreation programs; Military OneSource and Military Homefront Websites; the Department of Defense Education Activity; and the Defense Department’s commissary and exchange services.
From September 2005 through May 2009, Thomas served as senior executive director human capital strategy in the private sector, providing strategic perspective and consultative guidance on Human Capital Management for the Department of Defense to enable organizations to strategically and more effectively accomplish their mission(s).
Thomas retired from the U.S. Air Force as a senior military officer after over 26 years of distinguished service. His assignments include chief, Quality Force/Personnel Utilization at Duluth International Airport, Minn.; chief, Personnel Utilization at Myrtle Beach, S.C.; chief, Consolidated Base Personnel Office at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.; chief, Personnel Readiness Air Force IG Team at Norton Air Force Base, Calif.; chief, Strategic Plans Integration on the Air Staff; chief, Enlisted Promotion Policy on the Air Staff; director of personnel plans and systems at Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, Fla.; commander, 92nd Mission Support Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.; director of Air Force personnel in the National Capital Region; Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.; assistant deputy for military personnel in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Force Management and Personnel; 62nd mission support group commander, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., and deployed commander Oman; senior investigator for general officer and senior executive service matters in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General, D.C. Throughout his career, Thomas was responsible for a myriad of servicemember and family support policy, programs and services, including management and support of family support centers, reengineering personnel programs to support families of deployed servicemembers, oversight of nationally accredited child development centers, management of installation housing units, and construction of medical, youth center, commissary, DoD school and recreation center facilities.
Thomas received a B.A. in mass communications from Valdosta State College, an M.A. in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and an M.S. from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, Air War College, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and Yale Leadership Course II.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Bronze Star; Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with one silver and two bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Force Commendation Medal with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor and three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star; Southwest Asia Service Medal with one bronze star; Armed Forces Service Medal; Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon; Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with one silver Oak Leaf Cluster; Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon; Air Force Training Ribbon; Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) and Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabian Government).
Thomas was interviewed by MAE Editor Mark Fitzgerald.
Q: Can you please describe your primary responsibilities as deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy, especially as they relate to advocacy and support to servicemembers?
A: I am responsible for a very broad portfolio of programs and services that support, sustain and strengthen military families. These programs include:
- Community programs for morale, welfare and recreation
- Relocation and transition planning support services
- A worldwide chain of grocery and retail stores to provide a safe, economical and secure shopping environment
- Voluntary and post-secondary education programs
- Personal financial readiness education
- Support during mobilization and deployment
- Services for the geographically dispersed servicemembers
- Child care and child care referral services
- Programs for children and youth
- Support to families with special needs
- Dependent education programs to ensure that educational services are of uniformly high quality
- Family advocacy
- Dependent education programs to ensure educational services are of uniformly high quality
- Military spouse career and educational opportunities
- Coordination for services of non-profit agencies such as the Red Cross, Armed Services YMCA and the USO
We do this with the military services and for the most part we accomplish this effort fairly well.
Q: What are some of the most pressing issues facing the military community today?
A: After nine years of war, our military families are experiencing tremendous stress. In an effort to reduce the stress, the administration and DoD have made military family support a top priority. Within the last year, we have worked hard to identify the needs of our military families and are now resourcing those programs that will bring abo.ut the greatest relief. As such, we are growing our family support programs, especially in counseling and assistance services, child care, and enhancing career and educational opportunities. There is no question that the readiness of our armed forces is largely dependent upon the health of our military families, and the administration, DoD, and many other federal and state agencies are committed to ensuring these families get the support they need.
Q: What advice can you offer servicemembers who are transitioning to civilian life?
A: I recommend that all servicemembers take advantage of the many opportunities for personal and professional development throughout their time serving. A good place to start is with a visit to the Education Center, where an education counselor can assist with tuition assistance, scheduling classes, starting and/or finishing a degree, and taking courses that lead to certification or licensure. Use off-duty time to prepare for the transition to life as a civilian. If you’re planning to college, prepare for and take school entrance exams like the SAT, GRE, GMAT.
Through advances in technology, we’ve been able to offer library resources 24/7. Library materials are now available online through Military OneSource at no charge. The online library offers resources and services in electronic and hard-copy versions. The online library resources are links to electronic databases, e-books and audio books, including:
• Peterson’s Educational Life Long Learning Resource, in which service and family members can practice Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery tests and tests used for college entrance and course credits, and search through a list of nearly 4,200 two- and four-year accredited schools
• Career Library access for comprehensive information for career and college research
• NetLibrary, with more than 2,650 full-text electronic versions of published books such as the “ASVAB Core Review,” computer books, résumé books and 213 Cliffs- Notes
• MyILibrary, which includes more than 400 e-books, including Encyclopedia Britannica, 95 books covering legal issues, 24 foreign language guides and 169 “For Dummies” books.
Service and family members can also contact Military One- Source toll-free at 1.800.342.9647 (for additional phone numbers for those assigned overseas, see http://www.militaryonesource.com). Consultants are available all day, every day—‘24/7.’ They offer private, no-cost counseling services, community information, referrals and educational materials.
And finally, I’d recommend participation in the Transition Assistance Program approximately one year prior to leaving the service.
Q: Generally speaking, how well prepared does the average servicemember appear to be for a post-military career; and how much do you think education can help?
A: I’m a firm believer in life-long learning. Experts tell us and we’ve seen anecdotally that high school graduates and individuals with some college or college degrees have more employment opportunities and greater earnings. Servicemembers, at a minimum, have high school diplomas or equivalent; most have some college or degrees prior to leaving the services.
Part of the warrior ethos is continuous self-improvement. DoD encourages all servicemembers to continue their education for both military professional proficiency and personal growth. Voluntary education also prepares our servicemembers for employment opportunities when they leave the service. In addition, we’ve implemented uniform tuition assistance that pays for one degree at each level (Associates, Bachelors and Graduate) and one certification. Military service instills a value system that emphasizes loyalty, respect, selfless service, honesty and personal courage. In addition, servicemembers receive leadership training and are placed in leadership positions throughout their service. The value system and leadership skills servicemembers develop while serving are largely transferable to and largely desired by civilian businesses of all sizes and in all markets. I believe this gives our servicemembers an advantage over their civilian counterparts.
Our servicemembers also obtain many technical skills and talents that are transferable to the civilian sector. “COOL” [Credentialing Opportunities Online], for example, the Army’s site at https://www.cool.army.mil/ and the Navy’s site at https://www .cool.navy.mil/, explain how servicemembers can meet civilian certification and license requirements related to their military occupational specialties.
Q: How has your career in the Air Force helped advance your career?
A: Most importantly, my time as a senior officer in the United States Air Force taught me the difference between being a good manager and a good leader. The difference is subtle but important: a good manager does things right; a good leader does the right thing. The most effective senior leaders learn to be both, but understand that organizations need strong leaders and will always stress the leadership role over that of a manager.
Secondly, I learned early in my career that one of the most important responsibilities of a leader is to take care of your people: this includes families. If you are doing everything you can to ensure a healthy climate and a culture that stresses values, equal opportunity for all, and a healthy competitive spirit, your people and the organization are likely to excel in achieving personal and organizational goals.
In my current position, my responsibility for taking care of people has grown exponentially and now lies at the strategic level, but the basic leadership premise of identifying the needs and putting programs in place that accommodate those needs remains the same.
Q: From a servicemember’s standpoint, what would you say are some of the biggest challenges of earning a post-military degree and progressing into a meaningful career?
A: The realities of the military lifestyle—deployment, long work hours, frequent relocation—present some of the greatest challenges. How are we handling the challenges?
• We have 350 Education Centers worldwide staffed with education guidance counselors, high tech learning centers, testing facilities and higher academia on military installations providing education opportunities.
• During deployments: Currently we are operating 13 education centers, similar to the stateside centers, in downrange locations.
• Servicemembers are “blending” their coursework, taking traditional and online courses. Currently 64 percent of our servicemembers are taking online/ distance education courses.
• Due to the growth in online enrollment, DoD purchased the Peterson’s Online Academic Skills Course for military members to build their reading comprehension, vocabulary and math skills to pass their exams, excel in their jobs, advance their careers, or to continue their education. Servicemembers can use the program no matter where they are in the world.
• Servicemembers Opportunity College was created to provide educational opportunities to servicemembers who, because they frequently moved from place to place, had trouble completing college degrees. These schools reduce the residency requirements to 25 percent, allowing students to transfer credits, award credit for military experience and training based on American Council on Education recommendations, and standardized tests such as CLEP and DSST, where it is appropriate to the degree plan.
Q: What advocacy and support programs have you been most encouraged by over the years?
A: The one program that I would like to highlight is Military One- Source. This program first came to my attention while serving on active duty as one that offered military families throughout the total force the ability to talk with credentialed counselors to obtain information and/or connect with one or more of the many referral services available through the program. Since its inception in 2003, Military OneSource has continued to evolve to ensure military families received the assistance they needed: the top five family support requirements requested during the last year were stress management, couples relationships, family relationships, financial aid and education. The success of the program as a means to helping military families get the assistance they need is evidenced in its growing popularity. Since 2005, the program has experienced a 900 percent increase in calls for assistance, with a 94.5 percent positive feedback rating. With more and more governmental and non-governmental organizations wanting to become of a part of a growing network of military family support providers, Military OneSource, as a means to connect families with support programs, grows in its importance every day.
Q: What have been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned since assuming your current position in May 2009?
A: Probably the most important lesson early in my tenure was the level of concern that exists for the well-being of our military families. Not only is there genuine concern for military families throughout the federal government, state governments, and at the local government level, but I found the same level of concern and interest to improve military family quality of life throughout corporate America as well as within many non-governmental, nonprofit agencies. However, in spite of the good intentions of all of these different organizations, there was not enough coordination/ synchronization to bring about a synergized support effort. Since that time, I have made it the primary focus of MC&FP to assume this leadership role and develop a strategy that coordinates and synchronizes the efforts of all legitimate organizations that play a part in improving the quality of life of our military families.
Q: What long-term aspirations or key opportunities do you see moving forward?
A: The commitment within the administration, DoD, other federal agencies, non-governmental agencies and at the state and local levels towards improving the quality of life of our military families is unprecedented. We have a rare opportunity to create tremendous synergy in improving the support provided to our military families to include influencing the commitment of limited resources. This opportunity, however, requires an organization capable of leading and coordinating/synchronizing the efforts of all of these various organizations. As the deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy, I have made this a primary objective within my organization’s strategic plan.
Q: Any closing thoughts?
A: Voluntary education is an important component of the quality of life for our servicemembers. We know from surveys that the opportunity for an education is one of the top three reasons individuals choose to serve. Voluntary education helps servicemembers grow personally and professionally, improve their value to their service and advance through the ranks, to continue civilian education while on active duty, and make good use of their spare time. We are committed to providing high quality programs and services that support, sustain and improve the quality of life of our servicemembers and their families. We never forget that families also serve. ♦