Posted on 11/23/2011 1:29:22 PM PST by Nachum
SAN DIEGO -- Imagine joining the Navy ten years ago with a career in mind. Now, sailors with that career plan are getting pink slips as the military looks for places to save money.
Since June, 16,000 mid-career sailors have been waiting to find out if they will be forced out early.
Last week, the Navy began its layoffs when the first of two rounds of personnel cuts were announced.
Read the original story at nbcsandiego.com
"Nobody ever wants to pass this sort of bad news to somebody," said Captain Winton Smith, Naval Station San Diego's commanding officer. "It's a very difficult thing for any commanding officer to sit down with a hard charger and to tell them to prepare for the next chapter of their life.”
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.msnbc.msn.com ...
Nope, not kidding. We were working until 2200 every night just trying to keep up with all the separations. During an El Nino year, without air conditioning, on the upper floor of the building, in southern California.
My guys were fabulous. Not a word of complaint.
Glad to hear it worked out for you, if not in a roundabout way.
We have a ton of former military in Homeland Security. It’s a good fit.
They are being given early outs. If an insufficient number have left to balance their budgets, then they will begin to RIF. Will take place after the holidays.
Marine Corps always cuts first. As the smallest service it has to constantly justify its budget. They cut big in 84/85. The Navy made me an offer to stay on active duty, but meant a ship for three years, as a single dad that was not an option. Even now there are quotas in the Army for prior service, but like our “boat spaces” they get filled quick and hardly make up for the cuts.
Yes GS are being laid off, but not in Obama’s favorite departments like EPA, DHS, IRS, you know the ones that control every aspect of our life.
I try to send my Marines to DHS, butI cannot find a HR person or recruiter to talk to. I have good men and women ready to start tomorrow, but all I can do is send them to a website with no contact info.
I know. I hate it. All the hiring is on USAJOBS; the human element is completely gone.
The best your folks can do is set up a profile in USAJOBS so that they’ll get an email whenever an opening occurs in the field and/or area they want.
It’s very frustrating. Even those of us in DHS have to go through USAJOBS to move around. Everything’s centralized.
I was actually referring to the federal government as a whole and not govt employees RIFd due to defense cutbacks. I want to hear about layoffs in the Department of Education, NOAA, etc.
I took advantage of an early out in 1992 when they were giving enlisted of overstrength MOS bonuses to get OUT. Funny part was two years later in 1994 when they sent me a letter asking me to come back IN. :-)
That is sad,those people spend years in military careers,now they are going out there older and not acclimated to today’s civilian society.
I hope for these best for these individuals.
USMC has had a hiring freeze ongoing for about a year or more. Coupled with continuing resolutions and still no FY12 military budget, natural attrition is leaving gaps in infrastructure.
The billets we are talking about are the best bang for the buck billets,...the ones that check to make sure contractors are actually performing the intent of the contracts since most positions have been eliminated already in favor of contracting elements.
Those aren’t high paying jobs. Street auto mechanics make 2-3 times the salaries of these professional jobs and these jobs also need corporate knowledge to perform efficiently.
These are critical jobs where contracting alternatives will push towards higher level spending authority and finite contract recurring refresh in the professions.
First, get the DoD budget approved. Then cut the MILCON budgets in half, then possibly cut maintenance budgets in half, but retain your work force.
Jobs that were performed at $15k/annum 30 years ago are now costing $10mil/annum perhaps with twice the training value.
Living conditions might be warmer in the winter and cooler int he summer with prettier appearances, but 1/10 the espirit de corps and unit discipline.
It is well understood that after every military conflict, there is a downshift in personnel and ratings.
For those on active duty now, go back and read the professional biographies of Eisenhower, Patton, and MacArthur compared to say recent four star generals/equiv)(Petraus, Colin Powell, etc).
After WWI they took cuts from Col to Capt.
IMHO, the staff officers I’ve seen promoted in the last 10 years as Regimental billet Majors had less skill and wherewithal than prior junior Captains and some senior 1st Lieutenants. Many were SSgt prior service, but lacked wherewithal. Very few could conceive how to rattle off a 5 paragraph order within 10-20 minutes of initiating directive.
I’ve witnessed very little virtue extending into the field and flag ranks over the past 10 years.
The $50 Billion Bipartisan AIDS Boondoggle
How many servicemen would that have paid?
In addition, it'd be nice to analyze the forced-layoff population against the records for those servicemen and serviceladies who requested absentee ballots during Presidential elections.
Just thinkng...
It would take 218 votes in the House to impeach. I don’t think you could find 21, much less 218.
They ask you to stay..again and again..apply pressure...offer incentives..from the reenlistment NCO, Company Commander, Battalion to Brigade.
Combat Arms..get some rank..change to Admin..get assigned to the Special Management Command. Requires high test scores..some college..attention to detail and the ability to work alone.
today..have no idea if the requirements have sunk..
I was active duty navy in that time frame. I can't think of one E-5 or E-6 forced to leave. The Navy would give you up too $15K and E-5 in a lot of ratings to re-up. My Chief followed me around my last six months wanting too talk retention LOL. The E-6's I knew made E-7 usually. I watched my boss in my shop go from E-6 to E-8 before I got out. The only ones who weren't given a bonus I think were the cooks. That job didn't have shortages thanks to guys from th P.I.'s
I turned down the $15K and promotion. I also turned down a next day job at the shipyard. I wanted out of Norfolk. I got out Oct 80 and went home. I married in mid 81. By early 1983 a hard recession hit my area worse than the one now has hit my area. Unable to find work I went and talked to a recruiter. The billets were pretty well sewn up. I went back to school and worked part time for V.A. on contract till things picked back up.
The military active duty had much higher End Troop Strengths under Reagan and there was an economic recession. That had a lot to do with the rebuild in itself.
Sure. But we need two thirds of the Senate for it be other than an exercise in futility.
The AWOLs to get out did not start under Carter they started under Ford I am 100% certain because I saw guys do it. A vet from that era who is very vague about service and says I did a couple years in the Navy, Army, Air Force, likely went that route. Most employers don't ask for your DD-214 nor your discharge. I worked with guys in civilian jobs after I got out of the Navy I knew from high school who had done it.
Yes, I forgot about that and you are correct.
Wonder how much of that money, like pretty much all aid money given to other countries, ended up in the wrong hands and not toward the people it was intended to help.
Frankly I’m ready for the U.S. to stop the foreign aid and take care of the folks at home.
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