Vets' Preference Changed
National Guard and reserve members released from
active duty will get the same veterans' hiring preference for
federal jobs as those who are separated or retired from
regular active-duty assignments.
The Office of Personnel Management announced the
new hiring rules in a notice published the same day in the
Federal Register, where new rules and regulations are
published. Normally, there is a three- or four-month delay
in implementing newly announced federal rules. OPM
officials, however, said in a statement accompanying the
rule that they chose not to wait for the traditional comment
period before implementing the new hiring policy so as to
"not unwittingly deny veterans' preference based upon
regulations that are now obsolete."
"If OPM's regulations were permitted to remain as
currently written while OPM solicited comments upon its
proposed revisions there is a chance that reservists recently
released from active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, for
example, might be denied veterans' preference based upon
the language of current regulations," the statement says.
The federal personnel office said factors in the rush to
implement the policy were "the sacrifices being made by
individuals who do not serve full time in the armed forces but
who have been called to active duty for significant service."
Under the new rules, a veteran gets extra credit when
seeking a federal job. Previously, veterans' preference
applied only to people "separated" from active duty under
honorable conditions.
Under the new policy, hiring preference would extend to
any person discharged or released from active duty if they
had more than 180 consecutive days of duty since Sept. 11,
2001, served in a war or in a campaign for which a campaign
badge or expeditionary medal was authorized. Also, the
person who is discharged or released must have received
an honorable or general discharge.
The interim policy is still open to comments, and could
be modified. Comments will be accepted through Aug. 8,
with revisions possible after a review.
Marriage Enrichment Seminars
Family Programs has scheduled a Marriage Enrichment
Seminar for Sept. 22-24. Recently deployed Soldiers
and Airmen along with their spouses will be given first
priority. For more information or to register, call Marie
Durling at (609) 562-0739.
Federal Grant For Spouses Of Deployed Or Recently Deployed Military
A $100,000 federal grant from the Department of
Community Affairs is available for spouses of deployed
or recently deployed military (all branches across the
state). The funds will be available only until September.
For more information contact Fawn I. Mutschler,
Military Grant Liaison, Women's Opportunity Center,
YMCA of Burlington County by calling 856-234-6200
Ext. 235 or by email at fawnm@ymca-bc.org.
Guardlife Subscriptions
If you would like to receive Guardlife send your
name and full address to:
NJDMAVA
ATTN: PAO-BJH
101 Eggert Crossing Rd.
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-2805
Active Guardmembers: Guardlife gets your address
from your unit, notification is not required.
Also if you would like to have extra copies of past
issues of Guardlife, please email Staff Sgt. Barbara
Harbison at barbara.harbison@njdmava.state.nj.us.
Please specify the issue number, number of copies
and your full rank, name and address.
Diploma Mills
By Spc. Marimer Navarrete, 444th MPAD
There's a saying: "It if seems too good to be true, it is."
It could be called the golden rule for common sense,
but it seems to be the first thing people forget when they are
looking for a way to advance their career. This is especially
true for those who buy diplomas or certificates on the
Internet to use in their résumé for a promotion or a pay raise.
But what happens if the college you enroll in is bogus?
More important how do you avoid these so-called institutions?
It is difficult to develop a comprehensive list of characteristics
that can be used to spot a diploma mill, since they
are notorious for imitating legitimate degree programs. But
there are some methods that these companies use which
you should be on the look out for before you commit your
time or money.
Beware of schools of which you never heard before. An
official-sounding name does not mean a college is legitimate.
Scams often use words like "national" and "education"
in their titles.
Check for phrases that describe their programs including
"non-traditional, alternative, innovative, state-authorized"
or "state-approved". These companies may suggest
that their organization has undergone a process of academic
review, but in reality the organization may not be accredited by an agency recognized by the U. S. Department
of Education.
Few or no admissions or degree requirements should
also raise a red flag. Also promises made about obtaining
a degree in less time than that required for the completion
of a program at a recognized and accredited institution
should be a warning.
When it comes to money, diploma mills' costs are
based on degree completion instead of the more common
per credit fee schedule. Also, the assessment of learning
outcomes or achievement is minimal or nonexistent.
Finally, if the address of the school often suggests a
prestigious location, but mail can only be received at a post
office box or mail service, that means the company may
frequently change its address. Also if there is no significant
cluster of physical facilities, they may be operating from a
single office or even out of a private residence.
A cheap diploma is not worth losing your promotion or
having to face potential problems with your civilian or
military careers.
If you have any questions about the accreditation or
legitimacy of a school, contact 1st Lt. Benjamin Stoner,
Education Counselor at (609) 562-0975 or by e-mail at
Benjamin.Stoner@nj.ngb.army.mil.