FederalDaily - May 23, 2007

Report Calls for Increase in Size of Active-Duty Military

The nation’s standing military force should be increased by 100,000 and Congress should shorten the maximum National Guard troop deployment to just one year out of every five, said a new report by the Center for American Progress (CAP), a progressive think tank. The group analyzed the deployment and use of each of the 16 Enhanced Brigades of the Army National Guard, as well as today’s reliance on reserve forces to support overseas military actions. According to the report released May 21, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched thin not only U.S. military forces, but also the Guard and reserves. As a result, the report said, states are scrambling to prepare for natural disasters or terrorist attacks, assuming support roles traditionally filled by the National Guard and reserves. In addition to recommending an increase in active-duty forces and limits on deployments, CAP proposes the creation of a volunteer homeland security corps to serve as a backstop for the overextended National Guard and reserve troops. “These units and their families are being stretched to the breaking point,” said Lawrence Korb, senior CAP fellow. To see more, go to: www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/05/national_guard.html

:: Back to Top ::

FLRA Rejects AFGE Appeal on CBP Election Ruling

The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) rejected the appeal of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and upheld an earlier decision that handed a rival union the right to represent more than 20,000 Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees. The May 18 decision means that the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)—which won the June 2006 vote by a 7,349 to 3,426 margin—is now the exclusive CBP representative. AFGE had appealed an earlier FLRA director’s finding in favor of NTEU, which it called flawed. “NTEU is poised to move ahead on behalf of this entire bargaining unit,” said NTEU President Colleen Kelley. “It is particularly important, in an agency with as many serious morale problems as are present in CBP, that employees speak with a single voice,” she said. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org

:: Back to Top ::

TSA Names Former Trooper as New Operations General Manager

The agency tasked with ensuring the security of U.S. transportation systems has named former Indiana state trooper Mel Carraway as its new general manager for field operations. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on May 21 announced Carraway will take over the position, which is responsible for overseeing more than 43,000 employees nationwide in about 450 airports. He previously served as the federal security director of Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico. Under his leadership, the Albuquerque airport was named TSA's Airport of the Year for 2006. Since January, Carraway has been acting TSA general manager of field operations, the agency said. As acting general manager, TSA said Carraway played a key role in managing important agency initiatives such as developing an extensive employee screening program and implementing TSA airport-specific metrics to enable the agency to collect and track data. Prior to joining TSA, Carraway was a trooper for 22 years with the Indiana State Police. To see more, go to: www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2007/press_release_05182007b.shtm

:: Back to Top ::