Pentagon Plan Would Convert 10,000 Military Jobs to Civilians

[Khephra]

Pentagon Plan Would Convert 10,000 Military Jobs to Civilians


By Stephen Barr
Tuesday, October 7, 2003; Page B02


The Defense Department hopes to shift about 10,000 jobs performed by the military to civilians in the coming fiscal year, if Congress approves and money can be found to finance the conversions.

Top Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, have told Congress that shifting jobs to civilians would free up military personnel for the war against terrorism and the reconstruction of Iraq.

The proposal to replace military personnel with civilians is part of the Pentagon's plan to revamp the pay and personnel rules for about 746,000 civil service employees at the Defense Department. The Pentagon plan, called the "national security personnel system," was included by the House in the fiscal 2004 defense authorization bill. The measure has stalled, primarily because of contentious provisions unrelated to job conversions.

Pentagon officials have said that the proposed personnel system would help them better manage the workforce and enhance their ability to move civil service employees into new jobs. Union representatives have not objected to the proposed job conversions, although they oppose any civil service changes at Defense that would erode employee rights.

more.................

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53639-2003Oct6.html

[laconicsax]

1. And that's how they avoid the draft

10,000 personnel with desk jobs get shipped off to Iraq, more fodder for the cannon with out the need for a draft.

[mhr]

2. Better Still, The 10,000 Jobs

are contracted through Halliburton owned placement and sub-contracting agencies so Dick and Rummy get a share of the profit.

Quite ingeniuos.

All the while the American people sit idly by.

[Democat]

3. They want to make Halliburton the middle man in paying these employees?

Instead of taxpayers paying workers, taxpayers will probably pay Halliburton, who will take a big share and give part of it to Bush and Cheney, and then workers will get a small piece if they are lucky.

[Nottingham]

4. Well 10,000 jobs are not gonna be enough to solve Unemployment

:bounce:

[moondust]

5. Privatization = unstable gummit + decreased security.

Privatized employees owe their allegiance to their company, not their country. Their company owes its allegiance to the almighty dollar, wherever that may lead. Chinaman glad to build weapon parts cheap, ship in special container, deal? Big profits, deal?

[rooboy]

6. Cool...

then the privatized corporation can cut 5,000 jobs and give the other 5,000 to low-wage workers from third world countries (some of whom would surely be spies for other governments).

Good luck with your upcoming wars!!!