PaCER Spotlight: Barry Greene

Barry Greene is a property disposal specialist for the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services West region. He participated in the Pathways to Career Excellence Program in 2015 and is currently deployed to Qatar.

Why did you first apply to the PaCE Program?

What was your position before coming to the PaCE Program?

I was teaching micro-economics at Park University and a Wage Grade-6, material examiner and identifier for DLA.

What have been your favorite parts of the PaCE Program?

Building relationships with teams at the Headquarters building in Battle Creek, Michigan. I took full advantage of the time spent in Battle Creek and built trusting professional relationships with peers and leaders alike. DLA is actually a small world and the people you meet today, may be the people you work with at your next assignment.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?

Being a part of so many groups and teams that are driving change. I went through the infancy of Network Optimizationand participated in the creation of Standard Operating Procedures. I learned a lot from leadership during those experiences.

What would you say is the most important quality to succeed in the PaCE program?

Adaptability and trust are key. Field team members do not understand what new challenges the organization is facing or how they will affect locations and personnel alike. Be flexible and know that leadership is looking out for the best interest of the organization, the mission, and the employees.

In your own words, how would you describe the PaCE program, and what can you gain from it?

The PaCE program is an outstanding opportunity to learn about the organization, grow with it, and be exposed to the wealth of knowledge from leaders that have been with DLA for decades. You don't need to search too hard to find the answer to almost any question in the HQ building.

Please describe your current position in a couple of sentences, and how being in the PaCE program affected you in that position.

I like to think my position is unique. I am now deployed to Qatar and working in the capacity of a Disposal Service Representative or DSR. My pathway here took me from Fort Bliss, Texas, that was a cross dock and impacted by Net Ops. Then, impacted again under the Field Office Realignment where I was offered a soft landing in Tucson, Arizona, into a disposal property specialist position. Again, remain flexible…

What have you done since you finished with the PaCE Program?

I've been a contracting officer representative, a state point of contact, disposal service representative and an environmental specialist. Currently, I am deployed to Qatar, but most of all, I have been a valued asset to every location and position I have been in.

Do you have any advice for current or prospective PaCErs?

Editorial Note: The Pathways to Career Excellence Program for DLA Disposition Services is a two-year program that takes PaCErs through all of Disposition Services and its processes to learn as much as possible about the directorate. The first year takes place at DLA Disposition Services Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the second year either takes place in Battle Creek for Contracting PaCErs or at an assigned field site for Property Disposal PaCErs. PaCErs begin as general schedule 7s, move to GS-9s at the end of their first year, and graduate the program as GS-11s. There are multiple pathways to becoming a PaCEr, including being hired internally, as a recent graduate, or from military service.