Enterprise Email a Success...

Greetings JarFed'ers...

Having made the transition to Enterprise email about a month and a half ago, I must say that it has been a success. There are several new additions, one being storage, that have allowed for a more smooth and secure email experience. The thing that has really been of true benefit is updated Global Address List (GAL). My profession requires that I interact with individuals all over the world on a daily basis. Having the ability to pull up the GAL and find all of the needed points of contacts is a true game changer. This helps to improve efficiency and I no longer have to spend time going to multiple sources for those contacts. There are several sources online that provide more details regarding enterprise email (http://www.jarfed.com/2012/04/department-of-defense-enterprise-email.html). If you've had any experiences with Enterprise email or any other thoughts you would like to share feel free to comment. Thanks!

New post coming soon....

Been busy....

Flexibility

One of things that I’ve found will hold true on the job is the aspect of being flexible. During my time working for the Federal Government I've found that flexibility is the key on the job. Given that short notice changes could come down the pipe at any time, being prepared to accept those changes can go a long way in shaping your future with the government. For some, they look at working for the federal government as a job, which it is technically, but when we chose to take the oath into civilian and military life we essentially chose to take on a role that goes way beyond our daily expectations. Our daily operations affect the lives of so many beyond the walls of our departments. Knowing that a simple task that I may do today will play a role in the life of a Marine in Afghanistan tomorrow is worth the time and energy spent accomplishing the task.

Working for the federal government is definitely about customer service. Flexibility falls into the fold because of the fact that sometimes one may have to go outside of the normal parameters of their daily duties in order to get the task accomplished. I make it a duty to not turn anyone down. I often times have different requests from individuals throughout different departments within my organization and I try my best to help them with the situation or direct them to the best source for the information they need. This all goes along the lines of flexibility. I’ve had numerous roles that I’ve taken on throughout my tenure with the federal government and I’ve never lost sight of the reasoning behind everything that us federal works do. We should all take that flexible approach to things we do on the job whether federal or private sector. How will you be flexible?

GSA scandal, another blow to the Feds...

During a time in which the federal government gets the fingers pointed in their direction from a financial standpoint, yet another blow has been absorbed with the General Services Administration (GSA) scandal. For those unfamiliar, GSA consists of the Public Buildings Service (PBS) and the Federal Acquisitions Services. GSA is one of the main sources for acquisitions and procurement throughout the federal government. Walk into any government office and you’re likely to see equipment and supplies that have been purchased through the services of GSA. That being said, GSA is in the midst of a scandal that saw more than $800 thousand wasted on a PBS Western Regions training conference in Las Vegas, NV during May of 2010. The conference was to be a team-building event for several GSA employees, but the nature of the spending brought about suspicion. Reports have indicated thousands used on lavish suites, a comedian, and even a clown. To this point several authorities, including the chief administrator have either been fired or resigned.

Now, despite the nature of this offense, it shows the lack of institutional fortitude from a few individuals who had been trusted to do well in key spots. Just like with any agency, there are expectations that are set before a person is placed in a position and often times the only way to judge the overall outcome of the hiring decision is through times such as these. The bigger issue is defining the way ahead for GSA. There is no question that there is going to be a more strict oversight than in previous year. Ultimately, GSA will recover and continue with operations just as they have. In the eyes of many, the image of GSA’s spending will forever burn, and this is what in fact is the worst part of the situation. It is going to take the collaboration of all federal agencies to police their organizations and show that one agency’s mistake doesn’t define the federal government as a whole.

Spending cuts have been the main topic of discussion for federal agencies and with several agencies losing chunks of their budgets over the last few years, I’ve seen first hand the need for a more stringent effort towards cost saving. Just like any company, this takes time and dedication. Without getting into defined details, I’ve seen the process in action thus far and it will prove to be key when we evaluate our overall spending. The only thing left is to ensure that everyone within the federal government is making an effort to do their part in initiating cost savings. The key point in this is the fact that those who aren’t abiding by the standards of the oath they recited upon hire should be held accountable. There are far too many people living off of the work of others as they coast. This is key to fixing the problems and issues that plague any business. There are many workers throughout the U.S. giving far more effort for far less. All within the government should make it a point to prove that they possess the character to do the right things when no one is looking. Let’s move past this GSA scandal and continue to work towards improving our nation and it’s defense.

Experience DISA: The Pathways Program

As one of the true leaders in our nation's defense or as I like to call it, the "Apple" of our Nation's defense, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is an organization that has shown the ability to be a starting and finishing point in terms of career progression with the federal government. DISA has an astounding resume and has been providing services to our Warfighters for over 50 years. Many people are aware that our country is continuously under threat from other nations who are against the American democracy and what we stand for.

DISA has been one of the leaders in ensuring that we are provided safe avenues for the exchange of information between our fellow countrymen and allies. All facets of war are dependent upon communication and DISA is very aware and has been mandated to be the driving force of our communication efforts.

The overall DISA mission is to provide command and control capabilities and enterprise infrastructure in support national leaders, our military and coalition partners throughout the world. To put it into perspective, when the President speaks, DISA is involved. With that being said, I feel as though it is key that I provide information for those interested in a career with such a prestigious organization. Right now there are several individuals who are in college or may be making the transition from attaining their degree. Speaking from experience, I know that there can be several different nuance involved in the search for a job or where one would choose to start their careers and for some the process can be a bit overwhelming. DISA has a number of different programs in place that may be of interest to those looking to make a difference in public service. At times the federal government may get a bad rap from individuals in the private sector, media, or those actually employed by the government.

All of that aside, there are many federal employees who have our best interest in mind and proof of that is seen through the fact that we can sleep well at night and not have to worry about war on the footsteps of our homes. As technology advances so does the need for more young, creative minds to help carry and improve the processes that are in place.

DISA is currently in the process of introducing what is being called the Pathways Program in the fall of 2012. There will be a total of three initiatives that are associated with the Pathways Program and they are the Internship Program, Recent Graduates Program, and the Presidential Management Program. Each program has its own unique requirements. The Internship Program will have a focus on those currently enrolled in school and seeking an opportunity to get a head start of the experiences of a real world career. The Recent Graduates Program is self explanatory in the sense that it will focus on those who have recently received their degrees and provide them with an opportunity to put their newly learned skills to the test. Finally, the Presidential Management Program will place a focus on leadership and development of individuals with advance degrees determined by the United States Office of Personnel Management. DISA is currently scheduled to conduct job fair-like recruiting events at several universities located across the National Capitol Region (NCR). Though the NCR is the main area of focus at the current moment for the recruiting events, don't be hesitant to search for opportunities for you to apply online from your location. As previously mentioned, DISA is a global organization and has different offices throughout more 4,300 locations.

Just as with companies such as Apple and Google, DISA is only as good as their leaders and supporting cast. The Pathways Program will prove to be a critical addition that will allow for our current generation to reshape the future of how we maintain our defense.

Don't be on the outside looking in a what is truly a remarkable way to start the accent to true livelihood. It no doubt takes a special interest for those who choose to come in and really apply all of their efforts to improvement and good work ethic will not go unnoticed. There are several different resources available online to help familiarize you with what the military and federal civilian life is like. In the meantime, stay tuned and check back for more info.

Links to more information is provided below:

DISA Website: http://www.disa.mil/

Recruiting Schedule: http://www.disa.mil/careers/recruiting-events

OPM Jobs Website: http://www.usajobs.gov/StudentJobs

Department of Defense Enterprise Email Migration

One of the major transitions that is taking place within the Department of Defense (DoD) is the migration to Enterprise Email (EE). For those unfamiliar with the chatter that has surrounded Enterprise Email, this is a major acquisition that will improve overall communication and save the government millions of dollars. Essentially, EE will allow for all DoD users to exchange email communication on a single platform. The way in which the current email structure is set, each DoD agency works from their own database. In order for person with the Department of the Army to send an email to someone with the Department of the Navy, they must either work for the same department or have that persons email information readily available. Each department has the ability search for other individuals in their department's Global Address List, but they are limited in terms of who's available. Once each agency adopts Enterprise Email they will be able to pull the email information for any individual DoD wide who has been migrated to Enterprise Email. In essence, the Global Address List will truly exemplify it's name. Users will now be able to access their email from any location within the Department of Defense. Being involved with DoD, I know the importance of having a single distribution platform. Having access to the email's for all DOD personnel will cut down on the issues of not being able to reach a point of contact because of their email. The cost savings benefit of EE will be a major point of emphasis throughout DoD. With the move to DISA's cloud, Army has projected savings in the excess of $100 Million. Being the first department to make the jump, they have and are currently weathering the storm in terms of ironing out all of the technical kinks that have been associated with the migration. IT personnel have ramped up their efforts in the expectation that there was and will continue to be much work until everyone is transitioned. From an overall security standpoint, the move to the cloud is also effective in respect to more controlled information exchange. As the DoD continues to move forward and take on new initiatives, the current infrastructure will be a major player in the future of the nation's defense.

Image(s): Sean MacEntee, "email" November 11, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

St. Patrick's Day!

Enjoy your St. Patty's day on behalf of JarFed!