Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Deocs Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Carolina National Guard podcast urges service members to complete Defense Organizational Climate Survey
Summary
On the Pomemetto Guardian podcast, IPW interim manager Karma Simmons urged Carolina National Guard personnel to complete the Defense Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, saying high participation is essential to produce usable, anonymous unit-level findings for commanders and helping agencies.
Karma Simmons, interim integrated primary prevention manager for the IPW office, told the Pomemetto Guardian podcast that the Defense Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) is a Department of Defense survey sent through command channels to gather feedback on unit climate, culture and members’ experiences. "It is a DoD survey that is generated down to the command levels," Simmons said, adding that responses are used to inform commanders and helping agencies about what service members need.
Simmons stressed the survey is open to technicians, uniform wearers and DoD civilian employees and is DoD-wide, including Air Guard personnel. "We're a purple agency," she said, describing IPW’s role in supporting all branches in the Carolina National Guard. Simmons noted that some dual-status personnel may be eligible to submit separate responses for different chains of command, because their experiences can differ.
The DEOCS window runs from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31 and the survey can be completed on mobile or desktop devices; Simmons estimated it takes about 20–30 minutes. A QR code and email links will be used for distribution. Commands provide rosters with at least one email address per person; if personnel do not receive the survey, Simmons said they should ask their chain of command.
On anonymity and privacy, Simmons said the system may require a DoD ID to validate access but the analytic team receives only aggregated, unit-level statistics. "We cannot identify who it is under any circumstance," she said, adding that IPW reviews comments as numbers and shares only non-identifying summaries with commanders. If a comment raises an urgent concern, IPW can inform leadership that a concerning comment was made but cannot provide the respondent’s identity.
Simmons said IPW’s analysts combine DEOCS data with other DoD and state sources, analyze trends and then brief commanders down to battalion and squadron levels. Those briefings aim to help commanders and helping agencies develop follow-up actions such as education, support programs or community referrals tailored to unit needs.
"Participation is key," Simmons said. She warned that low response rates can make results statistically invalid and could risk identifying small groups if reported, so commands may request an extension to improve participation rates before analysis and reporting.
The episode closed with a call to action to look for the survey link or QR code and to complete the DEOCS so IPW and unit leadership have the data they need to support mission readiness.
