Feral Jundi

 

     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.  

     As for legal protections, one of my readers have informed me that these new SPS positions would not have diplomatic immunity.  Thanks to Andy for that.

     I worked as a smokejumper for the federal government as a seasonal employee, a 13/13 WAE and as a contract smokejumper AD 5 .   The theme for all types of employment, is that the government doesn’t have to keep you employed full time.  With the 13/13 employment, all I owed the government was 6 months and a day, and I was done for the season.  But if you wanted to make some money, you stuck around for as long as you could, and the government had the right to cut you loose after those six months.  So I was guaranteed 6 months of work.  With the AD stuff, they could do whatever they wanted with me and they didn’t have to pay benefits and whatnot.  In all cases, fires and disasters dictated how long I worked.

    With DoS, replace fires with war, and you can totally see what they are trying to do.  They need us, and this move is an attempt to ween themselves off of companies like Blackwater to do this work for them.  Although this won’t happen overnight, and we will see how it goes.  I suspect that the transition will be slow, and Triple Canopy and Dyncorp will still be needed big time over the coming years for WPPS. Please note the job description below as well:

     “to supplement DS Special agents in the supervision of contractor personnel” 

    On the flip side, overtime and danger pay is the cash cow in this game, and if you are on assignments with these guys with long hours in war zones, you could make some coin.  That is how we looked at OT and Danger Pay (Hazard Pay in our Lingo) in the jumpers. The feds have a good little retirement and healthcare package as well.  The down side is working in government, and all of it’s tedious bureaucracies and inefficiencies–it can crush the soul if you know what I mean.

    Also, I posted a bill that Secretary Clinton sponsored when she was a Senator, and several of her statements about contractors as Secretary of State.  She has definitely changed her rhetoric from outright protesting our existence, to begrudgingly accepting the reality of the situation on the ground.   –Matt

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 USAJobs Glossary of Terms Link

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Security Protective Specialist

SALARY RANGE: 52,221.00 – 52,221.00 USD per year

OPEN PERIOD: Monday, February 09, 2009

to Tuesday, February 17, 2009

SERIES & GRADE: FP-0080-04/04

POSITION INFORMATION: Full-Time Term Appointment not-to-exceed 13 months; May be renewed up to a maximum of FIVE years

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 04

DUTY LOCATIONS:     many vacancies – Throughout the World, WW

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:  Open to all U.S. citizens

NOTES: 

–SALARY LISTED ABOVE DOES NOT INCLUDE APPLICABLE OVERSEAS 

ALLOWANCES AND PAY DIFFERENTIALS (see BENEFITS section for 

additional information).  

 –SERIES 0080 AS INDICATED ABOVE IS FOR USAJOBS COMPLIANCE ONLY.  

THE SERIES/GRADE IS FP-2570-04

For general questions regarding this announcement, receipt of your faxed documentation, or the status of your application, see the “How To Apply” tab.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), is 

seeking highly qualified and motivated men and women with extensive 

experience in protective security operations to serve as Foreign 

Service Security Protective Specialists at certain U.S. Embassies, 

Consulates and regional offices abroad.

This workforce will be deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel, and 

possibly other Foreign Service posts, to supplement DS Special 

agents in the supervision of contractor personnel. The specific 

number to be hired will depend on the needs of the Foreign Service. 

As members of a diplomatic team, Security Protective Specialists 

(SPS) not only help to accomplish the mission of the Department of 

State but also represent the United States to the people of other 

nations. DS will create SPS positions initially at the following locations: Embassy Baghdad; Iraq Regional Embassy Offices Erbil, Al Hillah, 

Tallil and Basra; Embassy Kabul and Consulate General Jerusalem.  

SPSs will work in tandem with DS Special Agents (SA) to ensure that 

a DS supervisor is always present and involved with every protective 

motorcade element. The SPS or SA may act as the Detail Leader and 

may supervise other DS or contractor personnel. 

Appointment as a Security Protective Specialist will be in the 

Limited Non-Career Appointment category.  This category is based 

upon an annually renewable appointment with a 5-year maximum.  

Extensions beyond five years are not permitted. At the conclusion of 

the appointment, SPSs may apply for any Department position for 

which they are qualified, to include the Special Agent position.  

Federal retirement benefits accrue during time spent as a DS 

Security Protective Specialist.  

All assignments will be at the needs of the service. After the 

initial tour, SPSs may be transferred to other high threat posts 

overseas for two consecutive 2-year tours of duty.  There is no 

provision for election of post of assignment. 

A limited, non-career appointment to the Foreign Service involves 

uncommon commitments and occasional hardships along with unique 

rewards and opportunities.  A decision to accept such an appointment 

must involve unusual motivation and a firm dedication to public 

service.  The overseas posts to which SPSs will be assigned may 

expose the employee to harsh climates, health hazards, and other 

discomforts and where American-style amenities may be  unavailable.  

Assignments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel are particularly 

challenging and may result in bodily injury and death. However, a 

limited appointment to the Foreign Service offers special rewards, 

including the pride and satisfaction of representing the United 

States and protecting U. S. interests at home and abroad.

INITIAL TRAINING ASSIGNMENTS

All Security Protective Specialists must complete approximately 13 

weeks of initial training/orientation at the Diplomatic Security 

Training Center (DSTC), the Foreign Service Institute and/or some 

other facility in the Washington, DC area.  The training program 

develops and tests proficiency in job-related subjects that include 

use of firearms, physical fitness, personal defensive tactics, 

driving skills, emergency medical procedures, and protective 

security techniques.  Proficiency is measured through a series of 

scored practical exercises as well as written subject matter-

specific and comprehensive written examinations.  Failure to 

successfully complete any aspect of the training program is grounds 

for separation. 

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

    * Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.

    * Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

    * U.S. Citizenship is required.

    * This position requires shift work.

    * Medical clearance is required.

    * Must be worldwide available. 

Link to USA Jobs Here

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(c) Limited non-career appointments.

Other Foreign Service specialist appointments may be made on a limited non-career basis. 

Before an application for a limited non-career appointment can be 

processed, the Director General of the Foreign Service must certify that 

there is a need for the applicant. Such limited specialists must serve 

overseas, and they will be subject to the same conditions as those 

outlined in these regulations for career candidates, with the exception 

that the maximum age of 59 does not apply to such appointments. However, 

because members of the Foreign Service generally are subject to the 

mandatory retirement age of 65 under section 812 of the Act, limited 

non-career appointments normally will not extend beyond the appointee’s 

65th birthday. Applicants for limited non-career appointments will be 

subject to the same screening, medical examination, background 

investigation, and final review process required of career candidates, 

but normally they will not be subject to a written or oral examination. 

Their appointments will normally be limited to the duration of the 

specific assignment for which they are to be hired, may not exceed 5 

years in duration, and may not be renewed or extended beyond 5 years. 

Ordinarily, no limited non-career appointee will be reappointed until at 

least 1 year has elapsed since the expiration of a previous appointment. 

However, earlier reappointment may be granted in cases of special need, 

provided the exclusive employee representative is advised in advance and 

is afforded an opportunity to comment. Prior to the expiration of

their limited appointments, if otherwise eligible, non-career appointees 

may compete for career candidate status by qualifying at that time for 

and taking the examinations required of career candidates. If 

successful, their names would be entered on the rank-order register for 

their functional specialty. If appointed as career candidates, the 

length of service under their previous limited non-career appointments 

may be counted as part of the trial period of service prescribed before 

a candidate can receive a career appointment.

Link Here

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WHAT IS A TERM APPOINTMENT?

Under term employment, the employing agency hires the term appointee for work of a project or non-permanent nature and for a limited period of time, lasting for more than one year but not to exceed four years. Reasons for making a term appointment may include:

    * project work;

    * extraordinary workload;

    * scheduled abolishment of a position;

    * reorganization;

    * uncertainty of future funding;

    * contracting out of the function. 

How are term employees selected?

Most vacancies are filled through open competitive examination procedures. However, an agency may give a term appointment noncompetitively to certain individuals, i.e., reinstatement eligibles, veterans eligible for a veterans readjustment appointment, and 30% disabled veterans. The employment of a term employee ends automatically on the expiration of their term appointment. The first year of service is considered a trial period and the agency may terminate a term employee at any time during the trial period. 

Are term employees eligible for benefits?

Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage.  

OPM link Here for definition

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Clinton sees smaller role for security contractors

Wed Feb 4

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to reduce the government’s use of private security contractors abroad, in comments Wednesday.

Clinton said a review of the firms’ role was being carried out following a series of scandals over the conduct of contractors like Blackwater, barred from Iraq for its role in a 2007 Baghdad shooting involving its guards, in which 17 civilians were killed.

“I certainly am of the mind that we should, insofar as possible, diminish our reliance on private security contractors”, Clinton said during a gathering at the State Department. 

But the former presidential candidate stopped short of calling for an outright ban on the government use of security contractors. 

“Whether we can go all the way to banning, under current circumstances, seems unlikely, but we ought to be engaged in a very careful review of where they should and should not be used,” she said.

Clinton said the government had already severed links with Blackwater following the January 29 ban by the Iraqi government.

However another contractor could replace Blackwater in providing security for some 300 employees at the US embassy in Baghdad. 

Clinton said reduced troop numbers in Iraq — a key part of President Barack Obama’s campaign platform — would likely mean contractors would still play a role. 

“Here is the dilemma and take Iraq as the example. We are going to be withdrawing our troops … How we provide security and safety for those performing civilian functions is a very difficult question,” she said.

 Story Here

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    QUESTION: Good afternoon, Madame Secretary. My name is Chris Dilworth. I’m an intern from Indiana University. I’m interning in the Bureau of Human Resources, Department of Resource Management and Organizational Analysis. My question is a quick one. Will you ban private military contracts? 

    SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we have, as you know, expressed a lot of concern about private security contracts. The Department ended the Blackwater contract in Iraq. But here’s the dilemma, and take Iraq as the example. We are going to be withdrawing our troops. Now, the President’s working right now on how to sequence the withdrawal and how to do so in as safe and effective manner as possible. We believe there will be an important role for our civilian employees. 

    How we provide security and safety for those performing civilian functions is a very difficult question. The military assets will be diminishing. The numbers of civilians in Iraq, to go back to Steve’s question, will also be decreasing. But there will be a corps of, you know, Foreign Service and Civil Service and foreign nationals who will be performing the work of the United States of America. And I, for one, as your Secretary, want to make sure that they have necessary security. 

    So we’re working that out. This is one of the issues on a long list of issues about Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places. I certainly am of the mind that we should, insofar as possible, diminish our reliance on private security contractors. Whether we can go all the way to banning, under current circumstances, seems unlikely, but we ought to be engaged in a very careful review of where they should and shouldn’t be used, and under what circumstances. And that’s what we’re doing right now. 

 From the DoS Townhall meeting

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 From a bill that Secretary Clinton supported when she was in the senate. 

“Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall ensure that all personnel at any United States diplomatic or consular mission in Iraq are provided security services only by Federal Government personnel.”

 The Stop Outsourcing Security Act