washingtonscene \\ COLA News //
COLA Pops The January 2017 Con- sumer Price Index was 236.854, 0.8 percent above the FY 2016 COLA baseline. Follow the trends at www
.moaa.org/cola.
create a new community care program. MOAA and other veterans service orga- nizations (VSOs) have worked closely with the VA over the years to ensure the vet- eran’s perspective is considered during the VA’s transformation. VSOs recently received another quar- terly update from the VA’s community care team, this time on how the VA will deliver pharmacy benefits, manage appointments, and pay civilian providers under a new community care contract. MOAA will provide more details on the new program once the contract has been announced.
Federal Hiring
Freeze DoD identifies exemptions.
D
oD officials said in February hiring will resume in more than a dozen areas crucial to national
security. Hiring for some positions related to cybersecurity, medical fields, child care, and shipyard maintenance will resume im- mediately, according to a memo signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work. The clarification follows President Donald Trump’s Jan. 23 memorandum, in which he ordered a freeze on the hiring of federal civilian employees. The Pentagon memo offers similar guidance to that issued by VA officials in late January. The VA’s memo identified more than 75 occupations exempt from the hiring freeze. A statement accompanying Work’s memo emphasizes civilian positions are ex- empt from the freeze only if they are critical to national security or public safety respon- sibilities. “While remaining consistent with the president’s objectives, the department will ensure that applicants for DoD posi-
30 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2017
tions are treated fairly and consistently as the policy is implemented,” the press release states. Despite the exemptions, Work states DoD officials should assess their most critical missions and requirements to gain “full value from every taxpayer dollar we spend on defense.” “I expect you all to apply your best ef- forts to implement this hiring freeze,” he adds. “Our work will inform a govern- ment-wide effort to optimize the size of the federal civilian workforce and will best position the department to imple- ment that plan for the long term.” Additional exemptions can be reviewed
on a case-by-case basis, the guidance states. Here are the 16 functions deemed by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to be nec- essary to meet national security or public safety responsibilities: Positions directly supporting the execu- tion of contingency missions and opera- tions, scheduled military operations and deployments, and security cooperation ex- ercises or training. Positions required for cybersecurity and cyberspace operations or planning. Positions required for space operations or planning. Positions required for execution of the cyber and intelligence life cycle operations, planning, or support thereof. To the extent necessary to maintain capability to ensure a medically ready force, positions directly providing in- patient care in DoD medical treatment facilities and providing acute and emer- gency outpatient care in DoD medical and dental facilities. Additionally, posi- tions involving communicable disease prevention and similar public health activities. First responder firefighter and law-en- forcement positions. Positions necessary to carry out or enforce
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