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1 Defense AT&L: March-April 2017

New Participants Selected for Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellows (CDG/AAF) U.S. ARMY DIRECTOR, ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT OFFICE (JANUARY 2017)

The following AAW civilians were recently selected for the CDG/AAF program, the Army’s premier mid-level leader-ship program.

Sandy Agostinelli U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Center (TACOM LCMC)

Rona Ford U.S. Army Evaluation Center

Daniel Griffin Program Executive Office (PEO) for Simulation, Training and Instrumen-tation

Dustin Hicks PEO Aviation

André Rozier PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support (CS&CSS)

Craig Stiller U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Lawrence Winkelman TACOM LCMC

Kenneth Wood PEO CS&CSS

Officers Selected for Army Acquisition Training with Industry Program U.S. ARMY DIRECTOR, ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT OFFICE (JANUARY 2017)

Congratulations to the following Functional Area (FA) 51 offi-cers selected to the Army Acquisition Training with Industry (TWI) Program. The officers listed below will begin their TWI tour in the summer of 2017, and will spend 12 months learning industry best practices. Selection into the program reflects great credit on each of them and their contributions to the acquisition community.

NAME COMPANY LOCATION

Lt. Col. Quintina Smiley

General Dynam-ics Land Systems

Sterling, Mich.

Maj. Gerard Dow Motorola Inc. Chicago, Ill.

Lt. Col. Laverne Stanley

Microsoft Corp. Reston, Va.

Maj. Travis Har-ris

Boeing Co. Huntsville, Ala.

Maj. Michael Lind

CSRA Inc. (for-merly CSC)

Falls Church, Va.

Maj. Vinh Nguyen

Amazon.com Inc.

Seattle, Wash.

Lt. Col. James Burkes

Amazon Web Services

Herndon, Va.

Lt. Col. Thomas Monaghan

Ford Motor Co. Dearborn, Mich.

Lt. Col. Thomas D. Jagielski

Lockheed Martin Orlando, Fla.

Maj. Ken Bernier Cisco Falls Church, Va.

Lt. Col. Terry Phillips

Sierra Nevada Corp.

Huntsville, Ala.

FY18 DAWDF Data Call to Commands U.S. ARMY DIRECTOR, ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT OFFICE (JANUARY 2017)

The Army DACM Office will announce the opening of the FY18 Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund (DAWDF) data call in February 2017. Army commands and organizations can request funding to develop initiatives in support of the Army Acquisition Executive’s strategic ob-jectives and in line with the Army Acquisition Workforce Human Capital Strategic Plan (AAW HCSP) goals.

Consider seeking funding for efforts that will improve cer-tification rates among your acquisition workforce, develop functional and leadership skills, increase acquisition core competencies, and recruit, retain, and recognize acquisition workforce talent. Funding approval will be prioritized in sup-port of the AAW HCSP, and allocated according to Army acquisition and organizational priorities.

Each year, the Army invests approximately $100 million in funding to grow, train, and retain the AAW. Funding has been used for numerous successful Army initiatives, such as the Student Loan Repayment Program, the Acquisition Leader-ship Challenge Program, cyber training, and developmental assignments. The DAWDF team within the Army DACM Office looks to establish innovative pilot programs, partner with world-class universities, and build an agile and adap-tive workforce.

Commands and organizations are encouraged to talk to their DAWDF points of contact and look for creative ways to develop and retain their acquisition workforce. Our pro-gram managers, listed on the program webpage, can give advice on submitting requests or highlighting best practice initiatives that previously benefited other organizations. The deadline for FY18 DAWDF requirements is tentatively scheduled for May 19.

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Defense AT&L: March-April 2017 2

Meeting and Exceeding FY16 and FY17 AAW Standards U.S. ARMY DIRECTOR, ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT OFFICE (JANUARY 2017)

Over the past several years, the Army Acquisition Work-force (AAW) has made significant progress in meeting the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) statutory requirements and AAW priorities. Data indicate that 98.9 percent of the AAW met the FY16 certification standard or fell within the grace period, exceeding the goal of 96 percent. Additionally, for the two-year cycle ending in FY16, 96.2 percent of the AAW met the standard of 80 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs).

This exemplary performance is a direct reflection of acquisi-tion professionals and senior leaders across the entire AAW committed to meeting DAWIA standards and supporting current and future Army needs. Workforce professional-ism is central to everything we do in Army acquisition, and directly enables the Army Chief of Staff’s current priorities of readiness, modernization, and taking care of soldiers.

To sustain and even build on this momentum, we recom-mend that for FY17, AAW members consider: • Focusing on meeting their certification requirements.• Ensuring that individual development plans (IDPs) are cur-

rent and updated at least every six months. • Meeting the CLP goal of 40 CLPs. The new two-year cycle

for 80 CLPs began on Oct. 1, 2016, and runs through Sept. 30, 2018.

• If you are a supervisor, including mentorship or coaching as a performance objective.

• Meeting the requirement to complete a Senior Rater Po-tential Evaluation by Jan. 30 for those at GS-13, GS-14, and broadband equivalents.

• Taking advantage of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund to target acquisition functional and leadership competency gaps.

• Using Army Acquisition Career Field models in discus-sions with your supervisor and in setting IDP goals and objectives.

Teamwork, communication, collaboration, and direct leader involvement are essential to achieve and maintain these high standards. Leaders and acquisition professionals at all levels should work together to improve our core competencies and ensure a highly capable, agile, adaptive, and professional AAW.

Military Leaders Must Model ‘What Good Looks Like,’ Professionalism Chief SaysDEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS, DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY (DEC. 1, 2016)Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON—Senior commissioned and noncommis-sioned military leaders need to be role models for “what good looks like,” Navy Rear Adm. Margaret “Peg” Klein today told the Services’ most senior noncommissioned of-ficers attending the 2016 Defense Senior Enlisted Leadership Council conference at the Pentagon.

Klein, the senior advisor to the secretary of defense for mili-tary professionalism, briefed the review of the 2016 Enlisted Professionalism Workshop that she and Army Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Troxell sponsored.

Troxell is the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and he asked Klein to brief the council, which consists of the top 25 service and combatant com-mand senior enlisted advisors.

More than 50 service members of all ranks participated in the workshop, held earlier this year. The workshop identi-fied common challenges across the Services including toxic cultures, bullying, suicide, and more.

Improving Military LeadershipThe workshop participants used case studies to look at the problems, but, Klein stressed they were not just looking at what went wrong.

“We looked for solutions aimed at E-5 to E-7 service mem-bers,” she said. “We really looked for best practices from individuals, units, and institutions. What are junior leaders doing that is working every single day?”

Klein said the junior participants in the workshop were im-pressed to find out how much senior enlisted leaders care about their welfare.

“If you do nothing more but go back to your commands and have conversations with your subordinates,” they will be hav-ing a positive impact, she said.

Setting the ExampleSenior enlisted personnel need to set the example for their subordinates, Klein said. Setting the example, she added, is the most powerful teaching tool in any NCO’s toolbox, and at the very senior level NCOs must speak as one.

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“When you gather the combined voices of the Service and combatant command senior enlisted advisors, you have an effect,” Klein said. “The collective heft of what you bring to the table helps build a community of practice.”

The OSD Logistics Fellows Program: A Glimpse From InsideAIR FORCE NEWS SERVICE (DEC. 16, 2016)Bryan L. Jerkatis

WASHINGTON—A friend and retired Air Force command chief would often use an analogy with young troops regard-ing the differences in their world views versus those of their leadership. “Your view of the ground [truth] depends upon the height of the branch in the tree upon which you are standing,” he would explain.

Nearly 3 million men and women make up the Department of Defense; how few truly have opportunity for gaining in-sight and understanding of the origins of legislation, budget, policy, and oversight? The Office of the Secretary of De-fense’s Logistics Fellowship provides selected logisticians the opportunity to broaden one’s perspective and consider other points of view.

The “OSD Logistics Fellows Program” is open to field grade officer and DoD civilian equivalent logisticians. This one-year, unit-funded “fellowship” is a developmental assign-ment, with a goal to provide an atmosphere that fosters learning, growth, and experiential opportunities. The pro-gram is administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for logistics and materiel readiness. As a fellow, you will have the unique opportunity to participate in policy formulation and department-wide oversight responsibilities.

Fellows are fortunate to travel and tour both the public and private sectors in order to observe, contrast, and learn first-hand how logistics operations compare in private indus-try and benchmark best practices. Fellows, through visits to Congress, gain exposure and insight into the legislative processes. They’re also able to attend national-level forums and engage in collaborative efforts with industry partners.

Depending on assignments, fellows may have the oppor-tunity to visit and become familiar with other government agencies as well. Perhaps even more important, the fel-lowship affords participants opportunities to observe and interact with both appointed and career senior executives, and flag officers, including “one-on-one” meetings with se-nior logistics leaders in the military departments, Joint Staff, OSD, and agencies.

The insights and “big picture” knowledge to be gained are virtually endless, and the fellows themselves determine much of their training and class agendas. During my fellow-ship, I was tasked to resolve a longstanding logistics policy challenge within the department and was also given con-siderable leeway to gain needed expertise and formulate a recommendation, which led to publication of a new DoD directive. Other fellows led financial accountability pro-gram initiatives, participated in department-level awards processes, led world-wide maintenance symposiums, par-ticipated in source selection committees, and a number of other department-level initiatives.

Lastly, there’s a fellowship component to the OSD Logistics Fellowship. Fellows share a common bond, form a support structure, and face many diverse challenges together. The OSD Logistics Fellows Program provides an opportunity to forge lifelong bonds and friendships with other logistics pro-fessionals and build networking capabilities which will serve them for the remainder of their careers and beyond. Upon completion, fellows return to their sponsoring organizations or follow-on assignments with increased management skills, technical expertise, and networks that span DoD logistics.

The OSD Logistics Fellows Program provides DoD logisti-cians not only a rich experiential odyssey, but perhaps more important, the opportunity to obtain a deeper career un-derstanding of the OSD perspective and how it affects the DoD enterprise.

New Civilian Appraisal Program to Begin in April AIR FORCE PERSONNEL CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 29, 2016)Richard Salomon

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas —The Air Force will roll out a new Department of Defense civilian ap-praisal program in April 2017, designed to improve overall job performance, enhance supervisor and employee com-munication, and more effectively develop and reward the workforce.

The new program, called the DoD Performance Manage-ment and Appraisal Program, is part of the DoD’s collabora-tive labor-management effort known as New Beginnings. DPMAP will link employee duties and performance to the or-ganization’s mission and goals. It will also make distinctions in overall job performance and will include a three-tier level rating—outstanding, fully successful, and unacceptable. The first annual appraisal under this new system will be in 2018.

“Our civilian airmen are an important part of the Air Force mission, and we want to continue to build on our culture of high performance with this new program,” said Cynthia

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Manchester, the performance management program man-ager at Headquarters Air Force. “While DPMAP may feel fa-miliar to the current Air Force appraisal program, it provides for greater employee-supervisor communication, increased employee engagement, and timely recognition.”

Educational training is available to civilians and their super-visors in advance of the roll out. Training options include web-based training via Joint Knowledge Online, an eight- to 12-hour in-resident class, or a combination of the two. Em-ployees will receive information about scheduling and taking DPMAP training when it is planned for their base. DPMAP training is mandatory for all DPMAP-covered civilians and their supervisors.

For more information, search “New Beginnings” on the myPers website. Additional information can also be found at Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service on the New Beginnings page or by visiting the local civilian personnel office.

Bonuses, Incentives to Retain Soldiers Amid Push for Million-Strong ForceARMY NEWS SERVICE (JAN. 13, 2017)Sean Kimmons

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md.—With the total Army tasked to expand by 28,000 troops this year, the Service hopes to retain quality soldiers with incentives, such as cash bonuses up to $10,000 for extensions, the Army’s top en-listed member said Thursday.

“We need soldiers to stay in the Army,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey said during a town hall meeting at the De-fense Information School. “If you’re on the fence [and you plan to get out this year], go see your career counselor. I guarantee you that they have some good news.”

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 recently raised the Army’s end strength to just over 1 million soldiers for all components. Initial proposals had the entire Army slated to draw down to 980,000 by the end of this year. The NDAA increased the active force by 16,000 to an end strength of 476,000 and also bumped the reserve component by 12,000.

The troop surge would represent the Army’s largest yearly increase without using a draft or stop-loss involuntary exten-sion and will double its annual retention mission, according to Dailey.

“We’re not in a drawdown anymore; we’re in an increase situation,” he said. “The Army is going to get bigger.”

Soldiers who decide to extend their service for 12 months may receive the cash bonus, up to $10,000, depending on their military occupational specialty, time in service, and re-enlistment eligibility, he added.

Choice of duty location, stabilization at duty stations, chances to extend service rather than re-enlist, and incen-tives such as schools are other ways the Army hopes to re-tain its own. Assignment and training options vary by MOS.

“There are some very creative things we’re going to do to stimulate all of that,” he said. “The important thing soldiers need to know is to ensure they talk to their career counsel-ors. They are the experts at the unit level who can tailor options based on a soldier’s specific situation and MOS.”

Dailey also highlighted readiness, as the Army transitions from an emphasis on counterinsurgency to full-spectrum operations, which will require an adaptable, well-trained, and ready force. Currently, more than 180,000 soldiers are serv-ing in no fewer than 140 nations around the globe.

Education benefits for enlisted soldiers are also improving, he said, with “huge systematic changes” to the NCO profes-sional development system, ongoing reviews of common core for all career fields, and possible expansion of tuition assistance.

“We need to change the dynamic in how we train and edu-cate our soldiers,” Dailey said. Military training, he said, can help soldiers obtain college degrees through the Army Uni-versity’s credentialing program. “We have permission to pay for your credentials for the job you do in the Army,” he said. “That’s not a bad deal.”

The Credentialing Opportunities On-Line program also informs soldiers how to use their military training toward certificates and licenses required for civilian professions, such as electrician, plumber, welder, and many other jobs. In addition, the Army is working toward letting soldiers use tuition assistance to pay for these certificates and licenses, Dailey said.

These efforts, Dailey said, will allow soldiers to thrive in the civilian sector once they leave the service. “We have a re-sponsibility to prepare you for that, just like we prepare you for war,” he said. “Simultaneously, by doing that we’re mak-ing you a better soldier.”

These changes may also convince many soldiers to keep serving or even persuade potential recruits to sign up. “It sends a perception across America that we value people,”

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Dailey said. “We want to stay at a competitive level and make sure that we get the right people to join. It’s a rein-vestment in the all-volunteer force of the future.”

Army Charts a Course Toward Blended Retirement in 2018ARMY NEWS SERVICE (JAN. 19, 2017)David Vergun

WASHINGTON—Beginning in January 2018, a new Depart-ment of Defense enterprise-wide retirement system will go into effect.

The blended retirement system, which was instituted by the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, will take effect for all soldiers joining the Army beginning Jan. 1, 2018, and some current service members will have the option to opt into the new system.

Soldiers with less than 12 years of active duty service and National Guard and Reserve members with less than 4,320 points will have until Dec. 31, 2018 to choose whether to remain in the current system or opt into the new one.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey listens to questions asked by public affairs NCOs during a town hall meeting at the Defense Information School at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, Jan. 12, 2017. Dailey discussed incentives, such as a cash bonus, to help retain soldiers as the Army looks to expand to a total force of over 1 million. Photo by Sgt. Jose A. Torres Jr.

The new blended retirement system is a three-pronged program:

Prong 1 consists of a defined pension benefit upon retire-ment, which is similar to the current system, said Col. Steven Hanson, Army G-1 Compensation and Entitlements, Allow-ances branch chief.

The current retirement system awards a pension of 2.5 percent of basic pay per year times the number of years of service for those serving 20 or more years, he said. So someone with 20 years would receive 50 percent of base pay per year in retirement.

The new blended retirement system awards 2 percent per year. So that same soldier serving 20 years would earn a pension of 40 percent of base pay.

Prong 2 consists of a Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, which is similar to a 401K plan, Hanson said.

Under the TSP plan, the government will contribute 1 per-cent of base pay for new soldiers after 60 days and then will match up to 5 percent of contributions after two years. For

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soldiers who opt into the blended retirement system, the government contributions to TSP begin immediately.

Prong 3 is a one-time continuation payment for soldiers with eight to 12 years of service. It will at minimum be 2.5 months of base pay for those on active duty. For Guard and Reserve soldiers, it will be a half-month’s basic pay as if they were on active duty.

If the soldier accepts this one-time payment, known as continuation pay, he or she will have to agree to serve for a minimum of three additional years.

Summary Soldiers serving in the Army today have from Jan. 1, 2018, until Dec. 31, 2018, to decide whether to continue in the current retirement system that has been in place for many decades or join the new blended system, Hanson said.

All soldiers joining the Army beginning Jan. 1, 2018, will be under the blended system, he said. Also, all soldiers with less than 12 years’ active duty, as well as National Guard and Reserve members with less than 4,320 retirement points, can opt into this new blended system prior to Dec. 31, 2018.

Decision MakingEach soldier’s circum-stances are unique when it comes to deciding whether or not to opt in or remain in the current system, Hanson said. In about three weeks, a mandatory Joint Knowledge Online course will help them decide which is best for them.

If the JKO course still doesn’t answer all the questions, soldiers can receive addi-tional help from counselors at Army Community Ser-vices or Army Emergency Relief, he added.

AnalysisOverall, the blended retire-ment system is good news for the vast majority of soldiers, Hanson said. Cur-rently, some 70 percent of officers and 90 percent of enlisted don’t stay in for 20

years, and they leave the Army with no retirement benefits. Under the new system, all soldiers who serve honorably for at least two years (approximately 85 percent of service members) will now have some retirement benefits when they leave the Service.

It is widely recognized that Thrift Savings Plan is an excel-lent retirement plan, with very low fees and other benefits, Hanson said. Even after separating from the Army, soldiers can keep contributing to their TSP or roll it into some other plan like a 401K.

The other good news, he said, is soldiers currently serving are not being forced into a new plan. “There’s no opting out, only opting in.”

Navy’s Intermediate Leadership Course Officially UnderwayU.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 24, 2017)Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jess Lewis

NEWPORT, R.I.—Developed as a joint effort by U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) College of Operational and Strategic Leadership (COSL) Department and the Naval Leadership and Ethics Center (NLEC), the Intermediate Leadership

Soldiers charting a course for their eventual retirement should know they may be able to opt into a new system Jan. 1, 2018, that blends a traditional pension with the Thrift Savings Plan and the ability to collect a one-time continuation pay after eight to 12 years of service.Photo by David Vergun

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Course (ILC) is designed to replace the Navy’s former De-partment Head Leadership Course.

The course was developed to directly reflect the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson’s Lines of Ef-fort (LOE) found in the CNO’s “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority,” as well as support NWC’s mission of educating leaders. The course is designed to prepare intermediate-level naval officers heading to department head positions or community milestone positions of similar responsibility by promoting professional growth in ethics, self-awareness, leader development, and decision making.

The initial feedback from the first class of students was posi-tive.

“Great ethics discussion,” said Alexander Homme, an ILC participant and Judge Advocate General (JAG) student. “In college and law school, I never got enough straight ethics training and found the course useful and relevant to think about. We had a good debate after class about whether or not the JAG Corps is the conscience of the Navy; and the ethics discussion and reading from class got us all thinking about the topic.”

After taking more than a year to develop the ILC course, NLEC and COSL took the time to not only develop the course, but to test it out on students to ensure it had the right changes to make the positive difference to support the CNO’s priorities—especially the gold LOE, which is fo-cused on leader development and strengthening the Navy team. The course was spawned from the CNO’s Developed Leadership Development Continuum Council (membership represents all the various Navy committees), which saw a need for a more robust course to ensure there was a clearer leadership development continuum.

“The ILC is targeted for the mid-level ranks, or the ‘critical middle,’ which is so important to the culture of an organiza-tion,” said Capt. Peter Mantz, commanding officer, NLEC. “More importantly, we challenge the students through re-flection, [and] facilitate rich discussion and case studies in order to stretch them. These command leaders cannot expect to grow their teams until they grow themselves. Our hope is that they walk away from this course with a renewed sense of purpose as key leaders within their organization, and a sense of ownership in their professional development.”

Student-led discussions are largely used with ILC which al-lows for selected leaders to share their experiences and then discuss with each other the pros and cons.

“I enjoyed the conversations we had in the small group over things like the philosophies behind leadership and ethical dilemmas,” said Kathryn Para, an ILC participant and JAG student.

The need for the course was confirmed as several students commented on the importance of learning about self-aware-ness and resolving ethical dilemmas intermediate leaders face in the fleet.

“Ethics, leadership, and the general conversations were the course’s greatest strengths,” said Nicole Staring, an ILC par-ticipant and JAG student. “I really enjoyed the conversations, and I feel like I learned a lot about my colleagues through the conversations. I was forced to consider many different opinions and leadership types, and I think that is the best way to learn your own leadership style.”

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy. For more news from Naval War College, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/nwc/.

Navy’s Career Intermission Program Balances Service and FlexibilityCHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 24, 2017)WASHINGTON—For those sailors looking for an opportu-nity to take a sabbatical from the Navy, the Career Intermis-sion Program (CIP) might be for you.

Established in 2009, CIP provides sailors a one-time oppor-tunity to transition from active-duty to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) for up to three years to pursue personal or professional interests like starting a family or going to school.

For individuals like Lt. Cmdr. Ken Hockycko, an F/A-18 pilot and current defense liaison on Capitol Hill, CIP offered him the opportunity to earn his MBA at Dartmouth College.

“I wanted to broaden my perspective on issues so I could be a more effective leader in the future and gain some experi-ences outside the cockpit that weren’t in the normal defined career path,” said Hockycko, who returned to active duty from CIP in 2012. “I hope that I’m more valuable to the Navy for having done it.”

Hockycko said that he thinks the experience he gained will ultimately serve the primary purpose of fighting and winning the nation’s wars.

“Warfighting and tactical proficiency must remain the num-ber one priority for the Navy, but that doesn’t have to be at

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the expense of other priorities,” he said. “This isn’t a zero sum game.”

After completion of the program, sailors come back on ac-tive duty and resume their service with a two-for-one service obligation for time spent as part of the program.

To date, CIP has had a total of 127 total participants.

“CIP is an important initiative that helps us retain talented individuals who are considering leaving naval service,” said Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. Robert Burke. “We have been working hard to develop modern personnel policies like CIP that offer flexibility and choice within an effort called Sailor 2025. We must continue to find better ways to retain and repurpose the talent in which we have already invested, and avoid incentivizing sailors to walk out the door. That’s what Sailor 2025 and CIP are all about.”

Today, Sailor 2025 is an evolving set of approximately 45 initiatives, like CIP, built on a framework of three pillars: a modern personnel system, a career learning continuum, and career readiness designed to help improve the Navy’s ability to more effectively recruit, train and manage the force of tomorrow while improving the Navy’s warfighting readiness. Some of Sailor 2025’s initiatives include the Meritorious Advancement Program, Fleet Scholars Education Program, Navy Tours with Industry, expanded maternity leave and Child Development Center hours, spouse co-location policy updates, and the creation of Leader Development and Navy Civilian Workforce Frameworks.

Those sailors who are interested in applying for CIP should submit an electronic application package to the program manager for consideration, who can be reached at [email protected]. Packages will be reviewed for eligi-bility with (PERS-93) and routed to the member’s Detailer (PERS-4) and Community Managers (BUPERS-3) before final approval by Commander, Navy Personnel Command (NPC).

More information about the program can be found on the Life-Work Balance page on the NPC website at: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/21st_Century_Sailor/tflw/Pages/CIP.aspx.

For more information about Sailor 2025, please visit: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/talentmanage-ment/Documents/Sailor%202025%20%2816%20Sep%2016%29%20%282%29.pdf.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.

Leadership Development Framework ReleasedOFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (JAN. 25, 2017)WASHINGTON—The Office of the Chief of Naval Opera-tions released the Leadership Development Framework Jan. 25.

Strengthening and broadening leadership development is a key objective of the gold line of effort in “A Design for Main-taining Maritime Superiority,” and the 10-page framework outlines how the Navy will develop leaders to demonstrate both operational excellence and strong character.

“Leaders have always been essential to the Navy’s success,” Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson said. “The strategic environment is such that our leaders must think more clearly and learn more rapidly than our adversaries. Developing leaders will remain the principal focus of our Navy.”

The framework explains the most important characteristic of a leader is drive—the relentless pursuit of “best ever” perfor-mance. Navy leaders should focus their development down two lanes: warfighting competence and character.

The best way to develop these two is through formal schools, on-the-job training, and self-guided learning. “World-class leadership is our Navy’s decisive advantage,” Richardson writes. “Some Navy leaders are already world-class; many more can become world-class with the right focus.”

The Leadership Development Framework can be found at http://www.navy.mil/cno/docs/NLDF_Final.pdf. For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.face-book.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy. For more news from Chief of Naval Operations, visit http://www.navy.mil/cno.

Officer Developmental Education Application Window Opens Jan. 30AIR FORCE PERSONNEL CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 26, 2017)Kat Bailey

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas—Eligible active duty officers can apply for intermediate and senior de-velopmental education opportunities starting Jan. 30, 2017.

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The nomination process starts via the web-based form 3849, available on Air Force Personnel Center Secure. Of-ficers may select up to five IDE/SDE programs in which they are interested and should ensure they meet the minimum criteria for each selected program as requirements and eli-gibility vary.

“The Air Force embraces the concept of lifelong learning, which draws meaningful connections between the distinct educational experiences throughout a career,” said Kris Hunter, the AFPC officer developmental education deputy chief.

Intermediate programs include the Air Command and Staff College, sister service and international schools, a variety of fellowship programs, and more. Senior programs include the Air War College, Air Force and national defense fellowships, National Defense University programs, sister service and international schools, and more.

“Our education builds the foundation for training and de-veloping transformational leaders at all levels,” Hunter said.Applications, including senior rater nominations, must be submitted by March 3. Officers nominated by their senior raters will have until March 28 to review their records in the Personnel Records Display Application to verify all personal information is accurate and their latest officer performance reports are on file.

Final results from the Developmental Education Designation Board, identifying the developmental education programs for which officers have been selected, will be released in October.

Stay informed on the most current developmental educa-tion information on the officer Force Development page on myPers. Alternatively, select “Active Duty Officer” from the dropdown menu and search “IDE” or “SDE.” The call for nominations for civilian developmental opportunities will be at a later date. For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go to myPers. Individuals who do not have a myPers ac-count can request one by following the instructions on the Air Force Retiree Services website.

Defense Department Revamps Civilian RIF Process, Emphasizing PerformanceDOD NEWS, DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY (JAN. 26, 2017)Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON—Performance will be the primary factor in the future if the Defense Department has to resort to a civilian reduction in force, DoD officials said today.

The department revamped the rules for the reduction-in-force process as a result of the National Defense Authoriza-tion Act of 2016.

That law requires the department to establish procedures to provide that, in any reduction in force of civilian positions in the competitive or excepted service, the determination of which employees shall be separated from employment shall be made primarily on basis of performance.

Reduction in ForceA reduction in force, or RIF, as it is known, is the term used when the government lays off employees. The RIF proce-dures determine whether an employee keeps his or her pres-ent position, whether the employee has a right to a different position or whether the employee must be let go.

In the past, tenure was the primary factor when making RIF calculations. Now, an employee’s performance rating of re-cord will carry the greatest weight followed by tenure group, performance average score, veterans’ preference, and DoD service computation date-RIF.

“The DoD civilian workforce is one of the department’s most important assets,” said Julie Blanks, acting assistant secretary of defense for civilian personnel policy. “However, there are times when the department must make difficult decisions that impact our civilians, and in doing so, it is im-perative these decisions result in our continued ability to seamlessly execute our national security mission. When cir-cumstances necessitate a RIF, the department must ensure we are retaining our highest performing employees.”

Changes Apply to AllThe changes will apply to almost all of DoD’s 750,000 civil-ian employees. This change in the RIF process only applies to DoD. The government-wide provisions that rank four reten-tion factors by tenure of employment; veterans’ preference; length of service; and performance remain in place for other federal agencies.

Under the new system, if an agency is forced to employ a RIF, employees will be placed on a retention register based on pe-riods of assessed performance of 12 months or more or less

Career Development


than 12 months. The idea is to give an equitable comparison for employees whose performance has been assessed over a comparable period of time.

The first retention factor is rating of record. The rating of record is the average drawn from the two most recent per-formance appraisals received by the employee within the four-year period preceding the cutoff date for the RIF.

The second factor is tenure group. There are three tenure groups, with group III being temporary or term employees, these employees will be ranked at the bottom of the reten-tion register below groups I and II.

Tenure group I and II employees are those serving on per-manent appointments. Tenure group I includes employees who are not on probation and whose appointments are not career-conditional.

Tenure group II employees are those hired into permanent appointments in a career-conditional or probationary status. In general, tenure group II employees must have three years of creditable service and meet all other stated conditions of their probationary period in order to attain Tenure group I status. Tenure group I will be ranked above employees in tenure group II within each rating of record group.

The third factor is an employee’s average score. In general, an employee’s average score for one performance appraisal is derived by dividing the sum of the employee’s performance element ratings by the number of performance elements. For purposes of RIF, average score is the average of the av-erage scores drawn from the two most recent performance appraisals received by the employee within the four-year period preceding the “cutoff date” for the RIF.

Veterans’ preference is the fourth factor. “Veterans are a key part of the civilian workforce, representing a highly skilled, extremely well-qualified cadre of employees,” Blanks said. “The department firmly believes that highly performing vet-erans in the civilian workforce will not be disadvantaged by the new RIF policy.”

The final factor is the DoD service computation date-RIF, with those serving the longest having the edge.

DoD officials stress that a RIF is always the last resort for the department. They will do everything they can to mitigate the size of reductions, including the use of voluntary early retirement authority or voluntary separation incentive pay-ments. Agencies will also use hiring freezes, termination of

temporary appointments, and any other pre-RIF placement options.

The new DoD RIF policy and procedures are consistent with the implementation of the DoD Performance Management and Appraisal Program. This program standardizes the civil-ian performance appraisal system throughout the depart-ment.

FY17 Centralized Development Program Selectees AnnouncedDEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AGENCY PUBLIC AFFAIRS, HUMAN CAPITAL DIRECTORATE (JAN. 27, 2017)

FORT LEE, Va.—The Defense Contract Management Agency Senior Leadership Team Flag Panel has announced the employees selected to participate in the fiscal year 2017 Centralized Development Program.

Thirty five team members will be attending multiple short- and long-term programs throughout the year designed to enhance and cultivate current and future DCMA leaders.Congratulations to this year’s selectees:

Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy – Acquisition Exchange ProgramJuan Ruiz-Sanchez — Contracts DirectorateAna Cruz-Zavala — DCMA Palmdale

Performance Assessments and Root Cause Analyses ProgramEric Oliver — Contracts Directorate

Air War CollegeRolan Bangalan — Technical Directorate

Defense Civilian Emerging Leaders ProgramJason Clute — DCMA Raytheon TucsonMichael Bouchard — DCMA Boeing St. LouisJeffrey Lloyd — Contracts DirectorateJeremy Jones — DCMA NASA Product OperationsDanielle Green — DCMA Dallas

Defense Senior Leader Development ProgramWilliam Ramos — Technical Directorate Eisenhower SchoolPablo Ospina — Technical Directorate

Executive Leadership Development ProgramJason Pickart — Chief of Staff

Executive Leadership ProgramJeffery Piecewicz — DCMA StocktonJulius Keys — DCMA NASA Product Operations

Career Development


William Lucas — DCMA DetroitHeidi Frazier — DCMA Special Programs EastAnne Hagner — DCMA Boeing PhiladelphiaNatalia Reid — DCMA Boeing PhiladelphiaPriya Babu — DCMA Lockheed Martin MoorestownLinda DeVance — DCMA Special Programs WestNam Nguyen — DCMA PalmdaleMatt Metz — DCMA Denver

Federal Internal Coach Training ProgramMark Buckner — DCMA Lockheed Martin Marietta

Logistics Fellows ProgramAnthony Fonash — DCMA Philadelphia

Naval War College — Intermediate LevelMichael Gabertan — DCMA Special Programs West

Naval War College — Senior LevelBernard Holmes — Portfolio Management and Integration Directorate

Harvard Senior Executive Fellows ProgramCraig Bennett — Technical DirectorateClinton Covert — Equal Employment Opportunity OfficeAdam Harding — DCMA Special Programs WestSyma Hutchings — DCMA Central RegionPatricia McMahon — Contracts DirectorateKatherine O’Connor — DCMA InternationalStephanie Rocha — DCMA Western RegionStephanie Snyder — Contracts DirectorateThomas Verry — Contracts Directorate

With some exceptions, permanent full-time employees in grades GS-7 to -15 are eligible to apply for CDP. For additional information visit the program’s website (login required).

Q&A: The Army’s New Talent Management SystemARMY NEWS SERVICE (JAN. 30, 2017)Arpi Dilanian and Taiwo Akowowo

For the first time, the Army will use a talent management process that integrates the personnel records of active Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard Soldiers into one system. In this Q&A, Lt. Gen. James C. McConville, the Army deputy chief of staff, G-1, shares his insights into the Service’s new talent management program and explains how it will change the Army and improve readiness.

Q: Can you describe the Army’s new talent management pro-gram?

A: The Army’s most important weapon is its people. Where the other Services may man equipment, what we do is equip the soldiers, the women and men who are the Army. That’s where talent management comes into play.

What we are doing is moving the Army from an industrial age personnel management system to a 21st century tal-ent management system. This will allow us to manage the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of all of our soldiers in both the active and reserve components so that we can get the right soldier in the right job at the right time.

Q: How will the new talent management program work?

A: We will have a new integrated personnel and pay system. For the first time in the history of the Army, we will have ac-tive, Reserve, and National Guard soldiers in one personnel system. This gives us visibility over the entire force.

In the National Guard and Reserve, we have soldiers with tremendous talents learned from their civilian jobs that we may not see when we manage them by rank and military oc-cupational specialty. They may run a construction company on the side, they may be a design engineer, or they may have skill sets in technology—and we will now be able to see that.

We will be able to describe all lower enlisted soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers beyond their basic branches. We will be able to develop a profile of their knowl-edge, skills, and behaviors; and we will define them with more variables than we do now, which is basically two vari-ables—rank and military occupational specialty.

We will be able to define soldiers by multiple variables: the countries they have visited, the language skills they have, if they are airborne or air assault qualified, how many combat deployments they have, how many flying hours they have and in which types of aircraft, and their certifications and hobbies. We will have a much better idea of what talents a soldier can contribute.

We also want to know what soldiers want to do and where they want to go. If we can match these desires and have them do the things they are passionate about where they want to do them, we think we will be a much better Army going forward. We are working very aggressively to imple-ment these initiatives, and we think they will fundamentally change the way that the Army operates.

Q: Does all of this fit with the chief of staff of the Army’s No. 1 priority of readiness?

Career Development


A: Absolutely. Readiness is defined by four factors: man-ning, equipping, training, and leader development. The tal-ent management initiative really focuses on improving the Army’s manning and leader development.

Q: Is the issue of nondeployable personnel affecting talent man-agement?

A: We have fewer soldiers in the Army, so every single sol-dier has to be able to get on the field and play their position, both at home and away. If soldiers cannot deploy, then we need to take a hard look at their ability to stay in the Army.

If there are soldiers with deployment limitations who have certain talents that are critical to the mission and they can contribute in nondeployable ways, we need to consider that. But as a general rule as we go forward, soldiers will have to be able to deploy for the away games because that is what the Army does.

Q: Will you be changing broadening assignments for officers?

A: Some people think broadening assignments are just going to graduate school. It is much more than that. We have gone to three categories of broadening assignments.

The first is tactical broadening. These assignments are for those soldiers who want to excel at tactical assignments

outside of their area, [such as] going to a Ranger battalion, going to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, or going to a special mission unit.

The second is institutional broadening. These soldiers be-come trainers at the combat training centers; they become small-group instructors; they become recruiters; or they teach ROTC. We have tremendous opportunities for sol-diers to serve in the institutional Army.

The third category is scholastic broadening. Here we will send soldiers to top-tier graduate schools, or they will be Joint Chiefs of Staff or congressional fellows or instructors at the U.S. Military Academy.

Q: You spent many years as an aviator. How did you manage talent?

A: I would spend a lot of time with the soldiers who I rated and senior rated. I would begin the conversation by asking, “What do you want to do in the future?” And once you start to have that conversation, you can determine, first of all, if they want to stay in the Army. That is a good question to start with. And if they do not want to stay in the Army, find out what they want to do in the civilian world and help them get ready for civilian life.

Lt. Gen. James C. McConville, U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 U.S. Army photo

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If they said they wanted to stay in the military, I would ask, “Where do you see yourself in 10, 15, or 20 years? Do you want to be a battalion commander? Do you want to be a sergeant major?” Once you know that, then you can start developing a path with them to achieve their objectives.

Only 10 percent of enlisted soldiers stay for 20 years to re-tire; and only 30 percent of officers stay for 20 years to retire. So it is very important that we identify the best soldiers, noncommissioned officers and officers, and manage their talent appropriately.

Q: Will the Army’s recruiting processes change?

A: We are looking at putting better screening measures in place to ensure we get the quality soldiers we need for the future. We are getting ready to put forward the occupational physical assessment test, which is a physical test on a re-cruit’s potential.

We know the attributes that we want in soldiers as we go forward. We know that we want resilient and fit soldiers of character. What we are trying to do is put in place screen-ing tests and assessments with more fidelity that will help identify those recruits that have the potential to be high-quality soldiers.

We also want to ensure soldiers have the character needed to serve in the Army. This is very important. The No. 1 reason soldiers do not complete their first term is misconduct, and that comes down to character. No. 2 is alcohol and drug abuse, and that’s either resilience or character. And No. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are related to physical and mental illnesses or dis-abilities. So we want to screen for all of these very important factors up front.

Q: How are soldiers doing when they leave the Army?

A: As soldiers leave, we give them two missions: hire and inspire. What we mean by hire is we want them to go into the civilian world, live the American dream, take advantage of the GI Bill benefits, get a great job, raise their families, then get to a point where they are hiring veterans just like them.

And when they have the opportunity, we want them to in-spire young men and women to come into the military and serve just like they did. We want to give young men and women the opportunity to do one of the most important things they will do in their lives: serve their country.

Right now, we are pretty happy—not satisfied, but happy—that the unemployment rate for our veterans is lower than

the national unemployment rate, which is at about 5 percent. That is pretty amazing. We would like more soldiers to use their educational benefits; only 30 percent are using the GI Bill. We want more to take advantage so they can better themselves.

Q: What one tip would you give to a new soldier?

A: The most important thing is to be willing to learn. The Army expects you to come in physically fit and with integrity, and that allows you to perform those tasks you need to do. Everything else we will teach you.

Navy’s Grad Education Quota Plan AnnouncedCHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS (FEB. 2, 2017)WASHINGTON—The Navy’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 gradu-ate education quota plan was announced Thursday in NA-VADMIN 022/17.

The plan provides education opportunities to enhance war-fighting and support capabilities consistent with defense and navy strategic guidance as well as developing the skills to plan and operate the Navy of the future. These opportuni-ties support Sailor 2025 goals of providing sailors the right training at the right time in the right way.

“Sailor 2025 initiatives recognize the value of graduate edu-cation toward a career learning continuum,” Dave Menzen, director Total Force Manpower, Training, Education Require-ments Division (OPNAV N12). “There are multiple opportu-nities to excel academically and use the acquired knowledge to enhance your career and the Navy.”

Sailors of all ranks are encouraged to explore education op-portunities with their detailer or mentor as an integral part of a career development.

The FY 18 plan provides about 1,450 funded opportunities for degree and non-degree programs including over 400 quotas at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), 140 quotas at top civilian universities, 225 quotas at the Naval War Col-lege, 175 quotas at Joint and other Service colleges, 19 quo-tas at international military colleges, 30 quotas dedicated to training with industry opportunities for 15 officer and 15 enlisted sailors, and five opportunities to serve on the Sec-retary of the Navy Naval Innovation Advisory Council.

The plan also incorporates the new Requirements Man-agement (RM) Community, 6511, Subspecialty Code (SSC) family. 6511 will include the new Systems Engineering Analy-sis track expansion (SSC 6501) with three quotas, and the Systems Acquisition Management track (SSC 6502) with

Career Development


two quotas, based on existing NPS curricula.

The Cyber System Operation pro-gram, under enlisted graduate edu-cation opportunities, allows up to five enlisted personnel per year to obtain a 12-month, in-residence master’s degree at NPS.

The Navy offers numerous fellowship programs. Fellowships are typically 12 months in duration and are non-degree programs for active duty of-ficers (excluding special branches) with academia, think tanks, corpora-tions, research institutes, and federal agencies.

This year, Federal Executive Fellow-ship offers 15 quotas, one for White House Fellowship, two with Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship, 15 for Legislative Fellowship, and the Navy Supply Corps Training with in-dustry has four quotas.

Officers have a number of other opportunities to pursue advanced education, including a political military master’s via the Olmsted Scholarship, the Law Education program, and the Unrestricted Line Graduate Education Voucher program.

For details and more information on graduate education quo-tas read NAVADMIN 022/17 at http://www.npc.navy.mil.

For more information about Sailor 2025, please visit: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/talentmanage-ment/Documents/Sailor%202025%20%2816%20Sep%2016%29%20%282%29.pdf.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

Career Development Day for Army Scientists, Engineers Promotes Career ProactivityARMY MATERIEL COMMAND (JAN. 27, 2017)Brian Beall

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala.—At the Army Career Program 16 Career Development Day, Functional Chief Representa-tive and Army Materiel Command Chief Technology Officer Patrick O’Neill called on civilian non-construction scientists and engineers to embrace career development as their suc-cess yields benefits across the Army.

Held at the Bob Jones Auditorium Thursday, the career development day featured demonstrations of Army Civil-ian career development tools, like Army Career Tracker and GoArmyEd. Army Career Tracker is a career manage-ment site for soldiers, officers, and Army civilians, while GoArmyEd is a virtual gateway for pursuing educational programs.

Army Career Program 16, one of the largest Army career programs, is comprised of nearly 18,000 personnel across numerous Army commands. At the event, O’Neill and staff

Willie Davis, left, Army Career Program 16 Proponency Office at Army Materiel Com-mand, conducts a one-on-one session with a CP16 employee during CP16 Day in the Bob Jones Auditorium, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Derrick Williams

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from the CP16 proponency office provided the workforce with detailed information on developing a career roadmap.

“You taking responsibility for your career path is going to help the Army and our soldiers do their job,” said O’Neill.

Reflecting on the level of support the Army career programs provide for their stakeholders, Farrell Adkins, a career man-agement specialist with CP16, emphasized, “How we drive engineering is different than human resources.”

Participants were provided information on the Army’s Civil-ian Workforce Transformation initiative and its relation to overarching Army strategy, such as “Force 2025 and Be-yond.” As the Army continues to modernize its technological capabilities, so too must our workforce, said Adkins, adding, “We need to redouble our efforts to invest in you [civilians].”

Following interactive sessions on Army career development tools, participants were provided an opportunity for “speed mentoring” and one-on-one sessions with Army Senior Ex-ecutive Service leaders to learn more about charting a path forward in their own careers.

In closing, O’Neill commended the hard work of Department of the Army civilians, sharing his own motto for leadership, “Mission first, people always.”

Training Informs Army Acquisition OfficersU.S. ARMY AVIATION AND MISSILE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND ENGINEERING CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (FEB. 2, 2017)Kathleen Edwards

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala.—Soldiers are touring multiple U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center facilities as part of a three-week train-ing course to provide relevance to the acquisition process. Functional Area 51 Acquisition Intermediate Qualification Course provides advanced acquisition-related education to military serving in various acquisition roles.

FA51 IQC is intended for U.S. Army Acquisition officers. The 17 soldiers attending are a mix of active duty, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve. Most are senior captains or ma-jors with 11–13 years of service and have completed previous acquisition assignments.

AMRDEC tour stops include the Prototype Integration Facil-ity, Software Engineering Directorate, and Soldier Protection Lab. “We were careful to choose facilities that would include technologies the soldiers would be more likely to come across,” explained Dwayne Morton, FA51 Course Director. “These soldiers have diverse backgrounds from Infantry to

Communications. We don’t always necessarily need to see Aviation or Missile.”

IQC prepares students for critical acquisition assignments. The program provides more advanced acquisition-related education to military who have previous acquisition assign-ments. The goal is to develop people into acquisition leaders capable of leading and managing any acquisition organiza-tion.

The class tours government and commercial acquisition activities. This agenda includes stops at Program Executive Office Missiles and Space, Army Contracting Command, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center, Defense Contract Management Agency, Arnold Air Force Base, Anniston Army Depot, and major corporate companies that support the government. During these stops, soldiers hear from se-nior leader guest speakers.

“We get direct access to senior leadership with extensive ex-perience and knowledge,” said Maj. Bart Brimhall, assistant product manager, Program Management Office, Aircraft Survivability Equipment, Program Executive Office, Intel-ligence Electronic Warfare & Sensors. “It is important to motivate and mentor future leaders.”

Lt. Col. Terry Phillips, Program Management, DCMA grad-uated from IQC in 2011. “Participating in the program put things in perspective. Technology moves so fast, and during the training we got to see it hands on.”

“AMRDEC has been such a strong partner of this program since 2011,” said Morton. “We always want them to be part of the course because they are such a great representative sample of Research, Development and Engineering Com-mand.”

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center leads the nation in advancement and sustainment of aviation systems, missile systems, and related technologies.

AMRDEC’s mission is to deliver technical capabilities for re-sponsive and cost-effective research, product development, and life-cycle systems engineering solutions that equip the warfighter with the best technology today and tomorrow.

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AF Committed to Fostering Civilian Talent Via Developmental EducationAIR FORCE PERSON-NEL CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (FEB. 8, 2017)Kat Bailey

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RAN-DOLPH, Texas—The Air Force has c re a te d a n ew leadership devel-opment course de-signed specifically for GS-12 and GS-13 civilians and equiva-lent pay schedules.

The Air Force will undertake new mea-sures to increase opportunities for civil-ians at the GS-12 and 13 levels to participate in professional development programs, using an additional $1 million in funding dedicated specifically to civilian develop-mental education opportunities.

“These efforts recognize that to remain the world’s best Air Force, we must compete for, develop, and retain talent, skill, and expertise in new and creative ways,” said Daniel Sitterly, the acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

The Air Force continually assesses its development pro-grams to ensure they keep pace with the needs of the work-force. According to Air Force officials, analysis of the civilian continuum of learning highlighted a shortfall in deliberate development at the GS-12 and 13 levels and equivalent pay schedules. The new Organizational Leader Course will build upon leadership skills obtained at previous courses to grow and develop today’s civilians into tomorrow’s leaders and supervisors.

“We will continue working to ensure our Air Force is an em-ployer of choice for our nation’s best and brightest,” Sitterly said. Supervisors will be encouraged to advertise and pro-mote these opportunities, and applications will be accepted through myPers.

Initially, a targeted group will make up the first six classes of the one-week in-resident course, with the first class starting May 2017. The Organizational Leader Course will later be incorporated into the 2018 civilian developmental educa-tion process with the 2018 program information available in March.

Stay informed on the most current CDE information on the force development page on myPers. Click the force devel-opment link on the far left from the civilian landing page or select “Civilian” from the dropdown menu and search “CDE.”

For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go to myPers.

Department of Defense Announces Guidance on Implementation of Civilian Workforce Hiring FreezeDEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY, PRESS OPERATIONS (FEB. 2, 2017)Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) released a memo-randum providing guidance on the implementation of the presidential memorandum, dated Jan. 23, subject: “Hiring Freeze.” The guidance ensures that the department will honor both the letter and spirit of the president’s direction, mindful of our significant national security mission and pub-lic safety responsibilities. While remaining consistent with

Soldiers receive tour of the Prototype Integration Facility Photo by Delona Benitez

Career Development


the president’s objectives, the department will ensure that applicants for DoD positions are treated fairly and consis-tently as the policy is implemented.

The secretary of defense has identified certain functions necessary to meet the department’s national security or public safety responsibilities, which are enumerated in the guidance. Civilian positions may be exempt from the hiring freeze only if they are determined to be critical to the execu-tion of those functions. The guidance also outlines processes and procedures for approval of additional potential exemp-tions that meet the criteria. This is an opportunity for the department to assess its most critical missions and requirements, ensuring that members of the civilian workforce are assigned and capable of execut-ing the highest priority work. The DoD guidance will help to accomplish this objective and ensure that resources are al-located in a manner that will promote effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

The secretary of defense expects that all members of the department will apply their best efforts in implementing the hiring freeze in accordance with the guidance issued today. The department’s work will inform a government-wide plan to optimize the size of the federal civilian workforce and will best position the department to implement that plan for the long-term. For more information, please view the department’s guid-ance at https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/OSD000999-17-RES-Final.pdf.