| Comment Number: | EM-023362 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 1:54:19 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
March 16, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: I am writing to express my concerns about changes to work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD). The proposed regulations, known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), were printed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2005. This message will be sent to both DoD and my representatives in Congress. I am a relatively new DoD employee (under 7 years of service), so this new system will affect me far longer than most other DoD employees. Frankly, I am very concerned about the lack of job security and the limited rights of the employees that the NSPS system offers. My parents worked for DoD and DOE for many years and never had to worry about the future of their careers. They were reliable, responsible, hard-working Federal employees, as am I. However, under the new system, this does not guarantee me continued employment because the rules have changed. All it would take is one personality conflict with one supervisor or one little mistake, and my career could end in a flash. I am angry that even the parts of the current personnel system that are working well are going to be totally disregarded and replaced by an uncertain, undefined, untested system which basically gives no sense of security or promise to ANY employee. Why would anyone want to stay in a lower-paying government job under these conditions, when he could just as easily go to private industry, make more money and have the same amount of job security? This new system is most likely going to drive many bright, young professionals straight to private industry positions. NSPS will no longer allow a trade-off of job security for lower pay. Our warfighers are certain to feel the pain of this loss of highly qualified, experienced, dedicated, concerned civil servants. It is my prayer that lives will not be lost at the expense of NSPS, however, I am certain that they will. I am very upset by NSPS. This system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled, and treated. These rules would create a system in which federal managers are influenced by favoritism rather than serving the civil concerns of the American people. Civilian Deployment of Federal employees could be assigned anywhere in the world, even into a war zone, with little or no notice or pay benefits. I am proud to serve my country but I am also responsible for caring for my family and my personal obligations at home. We signed up for a civilian job. We did not enlist in the military. Today?s volunteer system works well. And since I have three children, my youngest having severe developmental delays among other things, it would not be possible for me to deploy at a moment's notice. Further, my husband served proudly in the active duty Navy for 20 years. He is now retired and attending college full-time because he was partly disabled serving his country. His retirement pay is an insult to all that he and my family have endured, and it certainly is not sufficient to sustain a family of five. Thus, if something should happen to me as a result of a deployment into a war zone, what will happen to my family? Moving with the military has taken me away from my parents and other extended family. As a result of being a military family, we reside far enough away from the familial support system that would be necessary should I be deployed or killed as a result of my career with DoD. America is at war. We are fighting for democracy abroad. But the regulations are an attack on workers? basic rights. Furthermore, NSPS will divert the attention of defense workers from the soldiers? welfare to protecting themselves from abuse on the job. I urge you to force DoD to rethink this proposal. We need work rules that preserve fairness, serve the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers. God Bless the USA and keep us all safe in these uncertain times. Sincerely,