Army creates organization to oversee civilian training

By Katherine McIntire Peters kpeters@govexec.com
December 12, 2008

The Army this week announced it was standing up a civilian university to better manage employee education and training. With plans for a staff of 15, however, the university is less a physical entity than a governing headquarters that aims to better coordinate education programs.

The move is part of a broader plan to centrally manage career development for the Army's 250,000 civilian employees, about 60 percent of whom do not have established career paths. By centralizing management the service plans to level the playing field for all civilians and gain a better understanding of the skills it must develop to meet long-term needs.

Eventually, the service expects to create eight broad career tracks that will provide employees with a clear path for promotion and give them more visibility into opportunities elsewhere in the Army.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41620&dcn=todaysnews

‘Sentinels of Freedom’ Scholarships Help Wounded Veterans

By Sharon Foster
Dec. 3, 2008

Thanks to a recommendation from the Army Wounded Warrior Program at Fort Riley, Kan., retired Army Sgt. Victor Thibeault of San Ramon, Calif., will study general education with the help of a “Sentinels of Freedom” scholarship that also benefits his family.

“The Sentinels of Freedom scholarship has helped me to secure gainful employment [and] a rent-free living space and a minivan for my family, not to mention the unwavering support of the local community,” Thibeault said.

The Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation provides four-year “life scholarships” to help severely wounded veterans become self-sufficient.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=52157

Army to outline career paths in test program

By STEPHEN LOSEY
October 15, 2008

The Army plans to test a new program this fiscal year that will define the career paths and training and advancement opportunities for its 250,000 civilian employees.

Susan Duncan, the Army’s director for civilian personnel policy, told Federal Times on Oct. 9 that civilian employees will eventually be assigned to one of eight broad career groups, depending on the types of jobs they hold. Once under those career groups, employees will be told what steps or assignments they will need to take to reach their career goals. The Army will also use the groups to help employees receive the training and education needed to advance, Duncan said.

"We will restructure Army civilian education and career progression processes to facilitate career development at every level," acting Army Undersecretary Nelson Ford said Oct. 8 at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting in Washington. "To keep great talent for tomorrow, we must cultivate that potential today."

http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3772508

Scientists, Battlefield Medics Share Ideas

By Sarah Maxwell
August 19, 2008

Scientists and battlefield medical clinicians shared their knowledge and experiences to advance medicine during the military’s premier trauma care conference here.

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command’s annual Advanced Technology Applications for Combat Casualty Care Conference was held Aug. 11 to 15.

What evolved from a disjointed vendor-oriented conference more than 10 years ago with just a couple hundred participants is now an extremely relevant knowledge exchange that has the ability to improve military medicine, said Army Col. Bob Vandre, a former MRMC Combat Casualty Care Program director who organized the conference for more than 1,100 attendees.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50869

America Supports You: Troops Offered Chance to Gain Civilian Work Experience

By Samantha L. Quigley
August 11, 2008

A California group is offering active-duty servicemembers the chance to secure a key component to finding a job before they reenter civilian life: experience.

The group, Military Civilian Experience, created by active-duty servicemembers for their fellow troops, was partly inspired by the military’s practice of thoroughly training servicemembers before sending them to the battlefield, according to the organization’s Web site. The group’s officials feel it shouldn’t stop there, and they’re working to give servicemembers a head start on finding their civilian careers.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50760

New GI Bill Provides Increased Educational Benefits

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
July 28, 2008

The latest GI Bill considerably improves the opportunity for today’s servicemembers to obtain their education, a senior Defense Department official said.

President Bush signed the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008 on June 30. The new law mirrors the tenets of the original GI Bill, which gave returning World War II veterans the opportunity to go to any school they wanted while receiving a living stipend, Bob Clark, the Pentagon’s assistant director of accessions policy, said.

“The original GI Bill was said to be one of the most significant social impacts of the 20th century,” Clark said. “We believe the new bill is going to have a similar impact.”

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50620

SWOs to get training before hitting the water

New course to focus on fundamentals, self-assessment

By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jul 20, 2008 11:06:15 EDT

After years of sending brand-new surface warfare ensigns straight to ships after graduation — rather than sending them to school first — the Navy is set to bring the schoolhouse to the waterfront.

Starting Aug. 4, the first ensigns are scheduled to report for a new introductory course after top commanders deemed ensigns were not "adequately prepared" to join the fleet after commissioning.

The new four-week course, managed by the Atlantic and Pacific afloat training groups, adds formal training for surface warfare officers who had been going straight to their first ships.
Naval Surface Force commander Vice Adm. D.C. Curtis called for the introductory course in early June, in a message that said "a large percentage of our newly reporting ensigns are not adequately prepared" to do their jobs when they report aboard their first ships.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/07/navy_swos_071808w/

Misinformation clouds new GI Bill

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 8, 2008 11:34:09 EDT

Full-tuition educational benefits included in a new veterans’ program signed into law on June 30 will not take effect until Aug. 1, 2009, unless Congress approves a change in the new law.

There will be a 20 percent increase, effective this Aug. 1, in Montgomery GI Bill benefits for active-duty veterans and veterans who have served two or more years of active duty, raising the maximum benefit to $1,321 for a full-time student who has three or more years of active service, under terms of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.

Full tuition benefits, plus stipends for living expenses and books, will not take effect under the law until Aug. 1, 2009, despite earlier claims by aides to the bill’s chief sponsor that those payments would be retroactive to when the bill is signed.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_gibill_benefits_070708w/

Millennials express strong support for public service academy

By Brittany R. Ballenstedt

A new poll conducted by SocialSphere Strategies in Cambridge, Mass., found that 57 percent of young Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 "likely" would consider applying to a public service academy, with 19 percent saying they would "very likely" do so. Among respondents, men, minorities and Southerners were most interested in attending such a school.

The survey also indicated tremendous support for the creation of a public service institution. After receiving information and arguments in support of the academy, 88 percent of millennials said they favored the idea. Even after providing respondents with criticisms of the academy proposal, 77 percent still expressed support for its creation.

"One of the things we wanted to do was make sure that the students understood the idea and the arguments against it," said Chris Myers Asch, one of the architects of the academy proposal.

"One of the key findings was that 88 percent said they liked the idea. But that's like saying 88 percent like apple pie. Do they still like apple pie after they hear all the calories involved? You have to explain the negatives." Many public policy observers are concerned with the academy's estimated price tag of $205 million per year. Others have argued that offering scholarships to students in a format much like the military's Reserve Officers' Training Corps would be a more cost-effective solution to the challenges of attracting top talent in government.

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40047&dcn=e_gvet <http://get.govexec-media.com/portal/wts/ccmcfOa-nvaqjNyLssiFbdE98Db>

Building a Deep Leadership Bench

The Army Knowledge Leaders Program develops bench strength to replace outgoing baby boomers.

Full column: http://www.governmentexecutive.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39815m

Bill offers better GI Bill for Guard, reserve

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Apr 18, 2008 9:31:38 EDT

A proposal for a simplified and more generous GI Bill for National Guard and reserve members was unveiled Wednesday by a bipartisan group of 10 senators.

The Reserve Educational Assistance Program Enhancement Act would allow reservists who serve multiple deployments to accumulate credit toward larger education benefits.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_guardreserve_gibill_041708w/

More lawmakers float plans for better GI Bill

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Apr 4, 2008 9:33:40 EDT

Two key lawmakers have unveiled a compromise proposal for increasing GI Bill benefits that might be acceptable to the Defense Department, which is worried that an overly generous education benefits program would hurt readiness by encouraging troops to leave service.

For those who serve at least three years on active duty, the Veterans Education Improvement Act, introduced Wednesday, would provide basic benefits of $1,450 a month — which just happens to be the amount top Pentagon officials named in January as the maximum acceptable level before the GI Bill would become so attractive that it would hurt retention.

In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs would pay a $500 monthly stipend for those attending school at least half-time and a $250 monthly stipend for those attending less than half time.

While the proposed full-time payment is well above the current maximum payment of $1,101 per month, the $1,450 paid over nine months of schooling per year still would be slightly less than the national annual average cost of $13,589 in tuition and fees for attending a four-year public college or university. It also would be far short of the average $32,307 average cost for a four-year private school.

Stipends, not paid under the current GI Bill, would leave GI Bill users far better off than they are today.

Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., and John Boozman, R-Ark., are the chief sponsors of the bill, HR 5684.

Herseth Sandlin is the chairwoman and Boozman the ranking Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs economic opportunity subcommittee, which is responsible for GI Bill initiatives. That automatically gives their proposal a leg up.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_gibill_compromise_040408w/

Nonprofit launches leadership institute for federal managers

By Brittany Ballenstedt bballenstedt@govexec.com
March 6, 2008

A nonprofit group announced on Wednesday the start of a leadership training program designed to help the federal government tackle the nation's most pressing challenges.

At a reception at Georgetown University, the Partnership for Public Service launched the Annenberg Leadership Institute -- a training laboratory designed to boost the skills of mid-level managers in government and the effectiveness of their agencies.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/030608b1.htm

Pentagon starts new benefits push

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 8, 2008 5:28:36 EST

Defense officials and lawmakers are forging ahead on a plan that would allow all troops — not just a few in critical skills — to transfer unused GI Bill education benefits to family members.

The proposal is one of several family-friendly initiatives tucked into the tail end of President Bush’s State of the Union address that the Defense Department calls the Military Community Initiatives Program.

The two other pillars of the plan would give military spouses hiring preference for federal job openings and expand child care through joint ventures with local communities.

The GI Bill proposal is moving quickly; Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, said he believes a finished proposal will be ready this month. The program for the National Guard and reserves, he said, will “probably parallel” the active-duty program.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_payraiseside_080207/

Study: Job market hard on recently discharged

By Hope Yen - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Feb 8, 2008 11:24:18 EST

Strained by war, recently discharged veterans are having a harder time finding civilian jobs and are more likely to earn lower wages for years due partly to employer concerns about their mental health and overall skills, a government study says.

The Department of Veterans Affairs report, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, points to continuing problems with the Bush administration’s efforts to help 4.4 million troops who have been discharged from active duty since 1990.

The 2007 study by the consulting firm Abt Associates Inc. found that 18 percent of the veterans who sought jobs within one to three years of discharge were unemployed, while one out of four who did find jobs earned less than $21,840 a year. Many had taken advantage of government programs such as the GI Bill to boost job prospects, but there was little evidence that education benefits yielded higher pay or better advancement.

The report blamed the poor prospects partly on inadequate job networks and lack of mentors after extended periods in war, and said employers often had misplaced stereotypes about veterans’ fitness for employment, such as concerns they did not possess adequate technological skills, or were too rigid, lacked education or were at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_veteransjobs_080207/

House votes for more family education benefits

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 8, 2008 9:56:06 EST

The House of Representatives passed a major education bill that includes a promise of in-state tuition for the families of service members, a scholarship program for military families and special centers to help veterans finish college degrees.

The bill, HR 4137, now goes to the Senate, where changes are possible. But its passage by a 354-58 vote on Thursday is just the start of what could be a year of many education initiatives for military families, which have gained the green light after President Bush announced he supports allowing active-duty service members to transfer some of their GI Bill education benefits to their spouse or children.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_education_080207w/

Senators press Gates on improving GI Bill

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 13:15:38 EST

An effort by Sen. James Webb, D-Va., to give post-Sept. 11 veterans vastly expanded education benefits gained a powerful ally Wednesday when Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia reached across the aisle to lend his support.

Last year, Webb introduced legislation calling for a new GI Bill that mirrors the generous post-World War II version that paid for veterans’ tuition, books and fees, and provided a monthly stipend and covered other training costs. That program was credited with transforming American society; the number of high school graduates attending college increased fivefold after World War II.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_webb_warner_gibill_080206w/

New campaign introduces students to public service

By Alyssa Rosenberg

Colleges and career centers that want to provide their students with more information about job and internship opportunities in government face challenges, representatives from some of the schools in the Partnership for Public Service's Call to Serve program said at a conference last week. But both the schools and the Partnership are optimistic about the program's potential and growth.

The conference helped five Call to Serve schools that recently received $3,000 grants from the Partnership strategize about how to launch Making the Difference, an education campaign about public service. The grantees include the State University of New York at Albany; Brown University; California State University, Sacramento; Washington University in St. Louis; and Western Michigan University.

"Making the Difference will make sure students are aware of these opportunities and will help connect students to young feds already in service so they can get the real scoop on government service," said Max Stier, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for Public Service in Washington.

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39221&dcn=e_gvet

Defense to begin recruiting foreign language corps

By Brittany R. Ballenstedt

The Defense Department is assembling a corps of people fluent in critical foreign languages to serve the nation during times of emergency or international need.
By 2010, the department will recruit at least 1,000 people to serve in the new National Language Service Corps, said Gail McGinn, deputy undersecretary of Defense for plans and head of the Defense Senior Language Authority. "We're going out to America and asking those who have foreign language skills to come and use them in support of the U.S. government," she said.
Congress gave Defense the authority to start a pilot project to create the corps in the fiscal 2007 Defense authorization act.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39027&dcn=e_gvet

Panelists debate public service academy proposal

By Brittany R. Ballenstedt

A panel of public policy experts on Wednesday debated whether establishing a bricks-and-mortar undergraduate academy would be the solution to the federal government's looming workforce challenges.
At a forum sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, panelists expressed support for or suggested alternatives to creating a U.S. Public Service Academy, on par with the nation's military academies, to inject prestige into federal service and highlight the importance of government work.
Panelists noted that the government faces myriad personnel challenges over the next decade as 60 percent of the federal workforce and 90 percent of senior executives become eligible to retire. Chris Myers Asch, one of the architects of the academy proposal, noted that establishing a national academy would create a cadre of talented individuals to help fill the void and make federal service a more noble career path.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=38985&dcn=e_gvet