{"id":196084,"date":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=196084"},"modified":"2024-06-09T02:40:10","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T02:40:10","slug":"crossing-continents-army-reserve-officer-commutes-to-the-usa-for-weekend-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=196084","title":{"rendered":"Crossing Continents: Army Reserve officer commutes to the USA for weekend training"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>

\n 1 \/ 2<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Lt. Col. Cassidy Dauby, Battalion Commander, 2-346th Training Support Battalion, Camp Shelby, Mississippi, talks with Capt. John Lombardo, Bravo Company, 2-156th Infantry Battalion, Louisiana National Guard, New Iberia, Louisiana, as trucks transport Soldiers to a location during XCTC 24-01. Dauby, a State Department Consular Officer in civilian life, travels each month from Bogota, Columbia to Camp Shelby, Mississippi to attend battle assembly weekend. The 2004 West Point graduate has 20 years of combined service in the active Army and U.S. Army Reserve.<\/p>\n

(U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. David Lietz)
\n (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. David Lietz)<\/span>\n <\/p>\n

<\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n \"Crossing
\n <\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n 2 \/ 2<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Lt. Col. Cassidy Dauby, Battalion Commander, 2-346th Training Support Battalion, Camp Shelby, Mississippi, travels 14 hours each month to attend weekend battle assembly at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. In his civilian career, he works as a consular officer for the State Department based in Bogota, Columbia. The 2004 West Point graduate joined the State Department in 2020.<\/p>\n

(U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. David Lietz)
\n (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. David Lietz)<\/span>\n <\/p>\n

<\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. – Many Army Reserve Soldiers have a relatively short commute to their weekend battle training assembly, but for one Army Reserve officer it takes him a little longer, about half a day longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 14 hours to get from Bogota, Columbia to Camp Shelby for battle assembly weekend every month,\u201d said Lt. Col. Cassidy Dauby, Battalion Commander, 2-346th Training Support Battalion, Camp Shelby, Mississippi. \u201cSometimes I do it twice a month to attend meetings or training.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reason for the long commute is due to his civilian job, as a consular officer, with the State Department.<\/p>\n

\u201cI joined the State Department in January 2020. My first overseas assignment was in Nigeria as a consular officer. Then I was sent to Arlington, Virginia to learn Spanish followed by my current assignment as a consular officer in Bogota, Columbia,\u201d said the 2004 West Point graduate.<\/p>\n

And what are the duties of a consular officer?<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a consular officer overseas, I have two main functions. The primary function is to assist U.S citizens overseas and the other is to adjudicate visas for foreigners wishing to travel to the United States as non-immigrants or immigrants,\u201d said Dauby. \u201cAnother part of helping U.S. citizens overseas involves visiting people in prison or hospitals, issuing passports and consular reports of birth abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Columbia happens to be one of the largest visa adjudication posts in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, we adjudicated over 600,000 non-immigrant visa applications,\u201d said Dauby.<\/p>\n

Working for the State Department is not without risks. In fact, it can be dangerous.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore we left Nigeria in 2022 Boko Haram attacked a prison near our home and released 500 Boko Haram and ISIS prisoners into the streets. The security situation was heightened,\u201d said Dauby. \u201cWe restricted some of our travel routes and increased the use of armored vehicles. A few months later, the embassy was evacuated due to security concerns. In Bogota, there have been targeted assassinations in my neighborhood of persons connected to the drug cartels and restaurant takeover robberies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, a career with the State Department was not Dauby\u2019s initial interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not my goal to work for the State Department, but I did have an interest in international relations. I have a Bachelor of Science in German and Russian from West Point. Later the Army sent me to Middlebury College in Vermont where I earned a master\u2019s degree in German literature and Cross-cultural Communications,\u201d said Dauby.<\/p>\n

In addition to his academic accomplishments, Dauby\u2019s military background includes 20 years of active and reserve service as an Army officer including 10 and a half years on active duty before joining the U.S. Army Reserve.<\/p>\n

\u201cI joined the Army Reserve in 2014 as the active Army was downsizing. I became a TPU soldier with the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion in Riverdale, Maryland. I drilled with them and then mobilized for five years working in current operations for European Command,\u201d said Dauby. \u201cAnd I was a political military officer focusing on non-federal entities and partner nation activity for Africa Command.\u201d<\/p>\n

So how does his career as a State Department consular officer complement his work as an Army Reserve officer?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe human aspect is a big part of it. I feel more comfortable now talking with people and expressing my ideas. I\u2019m more empathetic with my Soldiers. Everybody comes from different backgrounds, and everyone brings something to the table,\u201d said Dauby. \u201cI\u2019ve encountered many Army Reserve Soldiers working at the State Department. I\u2019ve mentored them on how to navigate being an Army Reserve officer and having a career in the foreign service. There is a reserve affinity group which is a human resources function that lobbies on behalf of military reservists across all branches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dauby continues serving in the Army Reserve because he enjoys it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fun to be in the Army Reserve. It\u2019s like a hobby that pays me. Here at Camp Shelby I competed for command after serving on joint staffs for eight years.\u201d said Dauby.<\/p>\n

Once XCTC 24-01 ends, Dauby will return to his regular duties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally find serving the American people rewarding and continue serving both in uniform and out,\u201d said Dauby. \u201cThe service and the camaraderie of both jobs outweighs the challenges. You develop a tight knit community in both professions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Lt. Col. Cassidy Dauby, Battalion Commander, 2-346th Training Support Battalion, Camp Shelby, Mississippi, talks with Capt. John Lombardo, Bravo Company, 2-156th Infantry Battalion, Louisiana National Guard, New Iberia, Louisiana, as trucks transport Soldiers to a location during XCTC 24-01. Dauby, a State Department Consular Officer in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":196086,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-196084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=196084"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":196089,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196084\/revisions\/196089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/196086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=196084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=196084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=196084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}