ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Fifteen employers have been selected to receive the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for their efforts on behalf of employees who are in the National Guard or Reserve.

“Our National Guard and Reserve members are a vital part of our national defense and deserve as much support as our country can provide,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement. “These 15 employers lead the way, and we are grateful for their role in helping to keep our nation safe and secure.”

A new National Defense Business Operations Plan calls for removing arbitrary caps on federal civilian personnel to allow for possibly converting some contractor positions to government jobs if it makes economic sense.

The 2018 National Defense Strategy calls for more emphasis on “cultivating” the military and civilian workforce and continued reforms to cut defense costs while improving performance.

Talent management efforts would apply to uniformed and civilian personnel.

For civilian workers, the document says the military “requires a motivated, diverse and highly skilled civilian workforce.” To get that, DoD “will emphasize new skills” with information experts, data scientists, computer programmers and basic science researchers and engineers. They’ll be expected to “use information, not simply manage it,” the document says.

Read more at www.ausa.org

More than 165 people attended “Veterans, Soldiers & Families: Job Fair with Pro Football Plus” at the Association of the U.S. Army’s national headquarters

Professional development programs for Department of the Army civilians were well-attended additions to the 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association of the U.S. Army.

MoH recipient Florent Groberg encourages human resources professionals to pay more attention to a veteran’s story and less attention to their resume when hiring

March 29, 2017

A former George W. Bush administration defense official is calling for a complete overhaul of the Defense Department’s civilian personnel system to separate them from other federal workers and to encourage the workforce to be more efficient and better equipped for their jobs.

Feb. 24, 2017

A successful transition from military to civilian life requires more than just attention to employment, education and health care. It also requires social adjustments, according to a new paper published by the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs at Brown University, R.I.

The Army closed fiscal 2016 paying $172.8 million in unemployment compensation, the lowest level for the service in 13 years, according to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

It marked the first time the amount has dipped below $200 million since fiscal 2003, when it came in at $152 million. The 2016 figure is also far below the peak of $515 million, which was paid in fiscal 2011.

Army officials credit several initiatives preparing soldiers to establish civilian careers for the declining unemployment compensation.