been very flexible with rescheduling requests and waivers. We understand the impacts that this is having, and we’ll continue to monitor and respond to the needs of the field. Why can’t supervisors change scheduled IDT drills for their members? In addition to the reasons addressed in Q2 above, the problem is the actual programming for DA. There would have to be code written for every individual supervisor. It would create too much churn and associated cost with supervisors transferring in and out of units and specific coding having to be developed each time. How long will the DA lockdown last? The lockdown will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. CG- R8 will determine at the beginning of each FY when this lockdown will occur. As has been the case every year, an ALCOAST will be released with this information in September. This lockdown in DA had been planned for years. Unfortunately, the DA drill cap glitch and COVID-19 made this much more difficult than anticipated. I realize you would rather be dealing with training and qualifications at the local level and I appreciate your hard work and understanding Special thanks to Mrs. Linda Robinson, Senior Chief Petty Officer Brad Clair, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Stacey Devlin, Lt. Jess Tull, and Capt. Steve Hill for reviewing and providing feedback from the field. I appreciate their input. Coast Guard C4IT deploys Microsoft Teams as another step in Cloud strategy Story by Lt. Caleb James As the world around us continues to move toward more remote work options, the Coast Guard is modernizing the IT infrastructure for improved speed, reliability, accessibility, and security, through cloud technology to support the remote workforce movement. In response to COVID-19, CG Cyber recently leveraged Teams–a virtual collaboration environment downloaded to your personal mobile device–to prioritize safety and maximize effectiveness for drill weekends across the Coast Guard. The Commercial Virtual Remote Teams (CVR Teams) environment was created to help the DoD community work remotely from anywhere in the world. CVR Teams is compatible with all commercially available versions of Microsoft Teams–meaning that members can message, meet via audio or video, and develop and share content. The best way to ensure members receive their CVR sign-in credential is to ensure their “CAC email” matches your uscg.mil email address. For help, email the Teams Help Desk at [email protected]. CVR Teams was launched as a needs-based tool for COVID-19 response as a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) solution for remote workers. And it may be used alongside Outlook Web Access in a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) session–the most common remote connections for many reservists. But Teams can also be used on the Coast Guard network, and via the Coast Guard’s Virtual Private Networks (VPN), in a web browser. This configuration reserves the Teams desktop app for Coast Guard- specific functionalities that are deploying to standard desktops as part of the Cloud strategy. Enhancing Coast Guard telecommunications remains a high priority across all commands. Visit the Help Me Know Hub for virtual training and information about Microsoft Teams. � Issue 2 • 2020 � RESERVIST 43 during this transition. I would also like to mention the devotion, dedication, and grit that CDR Bruno, LT Forni, and the rest of the CG-R82 staff have shown over the past few months trying to solve and answer everyone’s questions and concerns. The turnaround time at the HQ level has been usually less than 48 hours. They are making every effort to ensure the field and reservists get what they need. Kudos to them developing, refining, and navigating this new process! I’m a SELRES member who will soon be back to drilling this fall, so I feel everyone’s pain and frustration, and I’ve instituted a series of best practices to make next year go much more smoothly. We welcome your feedback. For any recommendations or feedback, please e-mail the CG-R82 staff at [email protected]. Keep up the great work and stay safe! Sincerely, Capt. Jennifer Travers Chief, Office of Reserve Resources, Readiness, and Analysis (CG-R8)
