Comment Number: OL-10502913
Received: 3/3/2005 12:22:21 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:

I salute this country. We Americans are always looking for "NEW & IMPPROVED". I am not opposed to that. If something is broken...we should fix it. But that is the question...is it really broken? If not, why fix it? I would like you to look at the NSPS Proposal from my eyes: 1) Funding - questionable 2) Pay for Performance - I work hard in my position...and sometimes long. I do not see anyone NOT working for their paycheck where I work. I have four years in civil service. I am not angry about these proposed changes. These proposed changes mean I have to reevaluate whether or not I want to stay if these changes are made. The civil service pay is not as competitive as it is on the "outside". The "security" of civil service in times of high layoffs was appealing. Now I see that my "performance" will be the basis of my pay. I do not have a problem with performance. I rate very high. But....I do have a problem with the fact that I have had "5" different supervisors (all Majors-some active duty Army and some activated Army Reserve) in the year and a half. That is very incredible. It also is not unusual. What it means is the supervisors are barely able to get aquainted with their jobs, much less know "my job performance".....their supervisors would know even less.....and I have had "3" of those in the same 11/2 years. The appeal process is lacking if there was a bad appraisal. 3) I am a civilian....daughter of a Career Army Sargeant, wife of a Career Army Sargeant. I am a Registered Nurse. Believe me..the pay and bonuses available "outside" are much better. I came to work at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston because it is my way of "Serving My Country". It may seem corny but it is TRUE. I know others that feel the same way. But there is a limit. I am not going to be "DEPLOYED" under any circumstance. The joke here is that the nurses at BAMC are told: "You are the back bone of this hospital." And so we are!. I cannot tell you how many soldiers we treated....when the War in Iraq began....while working alone. OUR MILITARY HAD BEEN DEPLOYED.....NOW it was just us...the BACK BONE! And we had back bone and we carried it until the reservists that we had to train arrived. "Oh," you say, "They were already trained." I say this. Let us discuss "Reality". The reality is that their little weekends did not prepare them for the "Real Work". They did come along and we were GLAD to train them, GLAD to have them with us. But where will the BACK BONE be if the civilians are also open to deployment? My hours have been long and hard during this time. The stress level has been more than doubled with all the personell changes. But I have not quit because WE ARE THE BACK BONE. I ask that you do not erode what makes it possible for us to stay.