Feral Jundi

Monday, April 6, 2009

Industry Talk: Pentagon Seeks to Dump Contractors for 30,000 New Workers

Filed under: Government Work,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 9:47 PM

  Cool.  More jobs for folks.  The key now, is for the government to be able to hang on to these new civil servants, or suffer the same fate as the poor companies that treat their people like crap or have poor management.  And if the government does not pay a fair wage for these positions, then they will have a tough time filling some of this stuff.  But like I said, this is great news for those that need jobs.

   As for the war related jobs, I just don’t see a major shift.  In fact, security contractors will probably be in more of a demand, as the war expands in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Africa, as well as maintains itself in Iraq over the coming years.  –Matt

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Pentagon seeks to dump contractors for 30,000 new workers

By Christopher Hinton

Last update: 4:02 p.m. EDT April 6, 2009

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The Pentagon wants to hire 13,000 new civil sernvants in 2010, with plans to hire as many as 30,000 new workers over the next five years, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Monday. “Under this budget request, we will reduce the number of support service contractors from our current 39% of the workforce to the pre-2001 level of 26%, and replace them with full-time government employees,” Gates said. Military suppliers have seen a windfall of contracts from the military since 2001 to provide services such as security, translation, logistics, and technical training. 

Story Here

 

Monday, February 9, 2009

Industry Talk: What is this DoS Security Protective Specialist All About?

Filed under: Government Work,Industry Talk,Jobs — Tags: , , — Matt @ 11:31 AM

 

     This is interesting, and certainly active on the forums.  What is this new position with DoS all about?  Well, I will tell you my personal opinion on it all.  Secretary Clinton needs us for the mission of protecting her people, but she really doesn’t like using private industry to do this.  So this is the next best thing.  You are basically a contractor that answers directly to the Foreign Service, as opposed to working for the Foreign Service through a full service company like Blackwater.  

     The crucial aspect of this, is that you will have to pass their 13 week DSTC academy, and then you can be called up and used for overseas stuff.  The caveat in this, is that you now have to answer to federal government management and structure.  Although some might look at that as a positive deal, because at least there are some protections in the government to make managers do what they are supposed to do.(EEO, Whistleblower Act, etc.)  But like most government, most managers are very good at working the system, and the strength of the checks and balances is questionable. Especially in a highly public incident that isn’t clear cut, kind of like the Nisour Square deal in Iraq.  And judging how DoS has treated that incident and Blackwater, I am not too confident on how they would treat contractors working directly for them. In forest fire fighting, I have seen management throw their people under the bus, to avoid getting involved and doing the right thing of protecting that employee.  

(more…)

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Government Work: New DS Position–Security Protection Specialist for OCONUS

Filed under: Government Work — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 9:15 PM

New DS Position

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security will soon announce a challenging new employment opportunity! The position may be posted the week of February 9, 2009.

The Security Protective Specialist (SPS) position will be advertised at the FP-3 and FP-4 levels for service at high threat posts overseas, to include Iraq and Afghanistan. These positions will be Limited Non-Career Appointments which are annually renewable to a maximum of 5 years.

SPS functions will be primarily focused on the protection of U.S. officials by augmenting DS Special Agents in protective operations and providing oversight to security contract personnel. Persons with current or recent experience in PSD operations, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, will be encouraged to apply.

Additional information will be forthcoming. Please watch this space for updates and once the position description is announced, you may access it through www.usajobs.opm.gov.

Story Here

Pay Scale for Job Here 

Edit:  The pay scale at OPM is old, I put up a newer one from State.  Just re-click the link. 

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Government Work: FBI Launches Largest Hiring Blitz in it’s History

Filed under: Government Work — Tags: , , — Matt @ 1:06 PM

FBI plans large hiring blitz of agents, experts

Mon Jan 5, 2009 5:15pm EST

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Wanted by the FBI: agents, language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts.

The FBI said on Monday it had launched one of the largest hiring blitzes in its 100-year history involving 2,100 professional staff vacancies and 850 special agents aimed at filling its most critical vacancies.

The agency, which seeks to protect the United States from terrorist attack, fight crime and catch spies, among other duties, said it currently has more than 12,800 agents and about 18,400 other employees.

Since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, the FBI has been criticized for not having enough employees fluent in foreign languages and for not moving fast enough to upgrade its computer system.

FBI Assistant Director John Raucci of the Human Resources division said the federal law enforcement agency is seeking to bring more people on board with skills in critical areas, especially language fluency and computer science.

“We’re also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies, and others who wish us harm,” Raucci said.

He said the FBI, which has been investigating corporate wrongdoing in connection with the current financial crisis, also needs finance and accounting experts, along with those skilled in physical surveillance and various other employees.

The hiring initiative for FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and for its field offices would replace departed staff and add some employees, officials said. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Jackie Frank)

Story Here

Start Here to Apply at the FBI

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Government Work: Civilian Response Corps

Filed under: Government Work — Tags: , — Matt @ 12:44 PM

Introduction to the Civilian Response Corps

The challenges of the 21st century require a significant increase in our capacity to respond quickly and effectively to emerging threats that unstable states present to the security of the United States and to our friends and allies.

Civilian Response Corps (CRC) members develop and implement a “Whole of Government” approach needed to help fragile states quickly restore stability and the rule of law, and achieve economic recovery and sustainable growth.

The central idea behind the Civilian Response Crops is building more effective partnerships – among our government’s civilian departments and agencies, among our civilian and military institutions, together with our friends and allies abroad, and with foreign leaders and citizens whose countries are in crisis, or approaching crisis, and who want our support. Ultimately, the Corps’ goal is to enable countries in crisis to transition as quickly as possible to governing themselves, sustaining themselves, and securing themselves – without U.S. or international assistance.

Because no single U.S. Government entity has all of the relevant expertise to deal with these threats, the Civilian Response Corps is a partnership of eight departments and agencies: the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of the Treasury.

The Secretary of State, in partnership with the aforementioned agencies, has requested funding for 250 full time employees for an interagency Active component comprised of trained and equipped R&S first responders who can deploy in 48 hours to countries in crisis. The request would also fund training for 2,000 Standby members drawn from within these agencies. Additionally, it proposes to build a Reserve, whose members would be drawn from the private sector and state and local governments across the United States, with expertise in the range of processes necessary in a transition from crisis including: policing and rule of law, infrastructure development, economic stabilization, state and local governance, agriculture, and provision of basic services.

Membership in the Active and Standby components was expanded to the interagency on July 16, 2008 at a ceremony held by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Website Here

Vacancies Here

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