Progress…..
12 hours later – success – Common Access Card in hand and hopefully the paperwork is queued up for Ben Hancock now as well.
Vehicle fixed without requirement for payment or for state police to get involved.
Next up – compulsory computer training with USACE, medical registration for family, driving tests to be booked and then any other hoops they want me to jump through….come on USA – what other admin you got!?!?
Categories: Mat McFry, Uncategorized
Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog 
Matt, I’d be interested to know the extent of your induction into USACE. It was a problem at 170 Engr Gp that people were not properly inducted and was to be addressed once many of the close battles were won. It would be useful to provide them with guidance.
David,
Induction was as follows:
-Orientation to Baltimore district office and personnel / departments.
-Office call with Col Anderson with a full brief of the role and responsibilities of the Corps in Baltimore district.
-Orientation to Area office and personnel
-Orientation to some sites (especially those with issues as these help to provide an understanding to the processes)
-Shadowing of certain personnel to see their jobs and routines (organised by myself)
-Compulsory training (very similar to MATTS in some ways) This is ongoing as there are still IT issues with my CAC. No real work will be done in anger until these courses are complete. They will include things like the Federal structure, how and why we work the way we do, security, IT security, defensive driving, IT etc etc.
-I have also been given numerous documents on the Quality Assurance procedures and how they are employed (again arranged by myself asking relevant questions)
I reckon I’ll be engineering in anger some time mid to late next week. There has also been some development part of the HQ project so it might be all systems go before too long. Other than that I have been confirmed as having a handle on levvee work in the area and the Ashley reserve centre that I discussed which has all of the issues so that will be a good starter. I have also seen a number of projects at different stages (bid, initial phases and almost completed) so I am starting to get a good feel for things. The devil will come in the detail.
Best wishes, and thanks to you and the team for all the support.
McFry