Federal Daily - March 25, 2008
CBP Expands Recruitment Drive to Overseas Military Bases
In an effort to further expand its pool of potential recruits, Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
recruiters this week will be visiting six U.S. military bases in Germany in search of servicemembers
seeking to transition to civilian CBP jobs. It is the first time CBP has recruited at overseas bases
and is part of an ongoing effort to seek new agents from non-traditional areas, CBP said in a March
21 statement. Recruiters said that about 25 percent of the CBP work force are veterans, and pointed
out that the transition to CBP service is made easier because former military personnel are familiar
with working outdoors, understanding a chain of command and self-discipline. Border Patrol recruits
earn between $36,000 and $46,000 in their first year, and can earn up to $70,000 within three years
of service. For veterans, employment with CBP also provides an opportunity to buy back time toward
retirement and continued enrollment in the Thrift Savings Plan. CBP conducted a recruiting drive this
past weekend in Washington, D.C.—another non-traditional CBP recruiting area. To see more, go
to: www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/03212008.xml.
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Some Military Retirees May Get Retroactive Payment
Some servicemembers who retired after Jan. 1 may receive a retroactive payment based on the 2008 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) announced March
19. Because the NDAA was not enacted before Jan. 1, DFAS could not compute the final active duty pay
rates for members retiring in January or February. Members who retired during this period had their
new retiree pay accounts computed with a 3 percent pay increase, DFAS said in a statement. However,
the active duty basic pay rates were authorized with a 3.5 percent increase by the NDAA. No action
is required by the retiree to receive the retroactive payment. Retroactive payments should be received
by eligible retirees within 30 days. All payments on or after March 1, 2008, have been updated to reflect
the 3.5 percent increase, DFAS said. To see more, go to: www.dfas.mil/news/2008pressreleases/release0308001.html.
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Senators Call for HUD Secretary Jackson's Resignation
Two senators on March 21 called for the resignation of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso
Jackson after he refused to answer questions about his role in a Philadelphia redevelopment deal. The
agency is becoming engulfed in a “worsening distraction” by allegations of cronyism and
favoritism against Jackson, said Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn. Murray chairs
a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on housing, while Dodd heads the Senate Banking Committee. In
a letter to President Bush calling for Jackson’s resignation, the senators said: “we must
have a credible housing secretary that is beyond suspicion. It is time for Secretary Jackson to go.” At
issue are allegations that Jackson sought to punish the Philadelphia housing authority for barring
a deal involving his friend Kenny Gamble, a music-producer and business developer. To see more, go
to: http://murray.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=295049.
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