K nowing what is in the U.S. Constitution and why the Constitution is relevant to us

today is fundamental to our being able to defend it. Last week the entire Techni-cian Personnel staff and I visited the National Guard Museum at NGAUS Headquarters as part of a team building organizational day event. Upon entering the museum, a replica of the United States Constitution hangs on the wall and clearly highlights Article 1, Section 8. Congress's legislative powers are enumer-ated in Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution and include the provision “to provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; and to provide for organizing, arming, and disci-plining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserv-ing to the States respectively, the Ap-pointment of the Officers, and the Au-thority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Con-gress.” In 1903, Congress officially des-ignated the organized militia as the Na-tional Guard and established procedures for training and equipping the Guard to active duty military standards. As National Guardsman supporting the 54 States, Territories and the District of Columbia as well as the Departments of the Army and the Air Force, we have a

special obligation to understand and ap-preciate the U.S. Constitution and the role we each play in providing “for the com-mon defense.” This month we celebrated Constitution Day, the day set aside to commemorate the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787, recog-nizing all who, are born in the U.S. or by naturalization, have become citizens. Al-though we celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day each year on September 17, our knowledge and the study of our country‟s Constitution is a year-round activity and the basis of why we are Always Ready…Always There.

“Supporting those who are

Always Ready...Always

There”

Chief’s Message

September 2012

Volume 1, Issue 4

Deputy’s Notes 3

Technician Personnel Profile

4

Benefits & Development 5

Worker’s Compensation 10

Classification & Position Management

11

Labor Relations 12

Systems 13

Staffing 18

Welcome 20

Inside this issue:

Technician Personnel

Management

Do You Know What Is in the U.S. Constitution? COL Susan L. Niemetz

Technician Spotlight 21

Deputy Notes Mr. Robert Tetrault

Mentoring Programs: A number of the Branches in TN have set up mentoring programs, some more for-mal than others. As an example, TNL has an online program coupled with a one on one portion with one of our staff. TNH has a program that links a new HRIS with a seasoned HRIS in a nearby state. Over the next several months we will be looking at these varied programs with an eye toward standardizing and ensuring that personnel have every opportunity to develop and learn from those that have "been there and done that". You are our best resource and we need to provide you with our best. Flu Vaccine: All, it's flu season already and as a follow up, technicians "MAY" voluntarily receive flu shots while in technician status. The key point is this is a voluntary program and technicians cannot be forced to participate while in technician status. PII Safety: As late as last week, NGB-J1-TN was reminded of the critical importance of Information Assurance as it relates to safeguard-ing Personally Identifiable Information (PII). When an event like this happens, it forces the organization to take a long hard look and reexamine what we do, how we do it, why we do it, and explore options for process improvement. The problem we collectively face as an organization, is that we become complacent over time and, in some cases, lose sight of the second and third order effects resulting from a failure to safeguard PII. Our customers rely on us to protect their identity in the normal course of daily activities. We have an obligation to safeguard the PII we deal with everyday as if it were our own. That being said, PII is not a math-ematic term it is Personally Identifiable Information that identifies, links, relates, or describes a person; and is categorized into high, mod-erate, or low impact data. High impact data includes a social security number, medical information, and financial information. This type of data is targeted by iden-tity thieves. In the wrong hands, this data can compromise personal and financial information and take years to resolve. Moderate impact data is not well-defined but can be equally damaging. Moderate impact data includes addresses, date of birth, mother's maiden name, passport information, education records, to name a few. On its own, this data may not seem very harmful however, when combined with other personal data, can be just as disruptive. Low impact data is information that would be disclosed under a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request. For example, it could include civilian grade, military rank, duty assignment, duty location, phone numbers, salary data, name, or your official photo. Similar to Moderate impact data, when combined with other information, your personal profile can be compromised. Training is key to successfully safeguarding PII. With this in mind, HR Specialists are reminded of the annual requirement to complete the DoD Information Assurance Course at https://ia.signal.army.mil/DoDIAA/default.asp. Completion of this course keeps your cer-tificates valid and provides you with the capability to encrypt and decrypt e-mails containing PII. DoD Information Assurance training is also designed to develop user awareness before electronically sending an SF 50 unencrypted or leaving a DD Fm 214, birth certificate, or security clearance application on your desk in plain sight. It makes sense to just stop and think, "what if that was my PII?". The Technician Performance Profile (TPP) for the month of August is included at page 4. This month we added the number of mone-tary awards, the number of non-monetary awards and the FY12 OWCP chargeback costs. We want to reiterate, the TPP is not intended to be a measure of performance, but simply another tool to allow Human Resources staff to view monthly data points in relation to other states. The Office of Technician Personnel will begin developing “Health of the Force” indicators that may be used in the fu ture to “rate” states‟ technician programs. If you have recommendations for data elements that may be used as reliable indicators, please forward them to the NGBTNInbox@ng.army.mil

“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for

which we are accountable.”

Molière

Page 3 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 4

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AK 567 544 23 38 12.7% 16 118 79 1 0 353 11 11 90 0 2 $520,091 5 4

AL 1272 1219 53 131 15.3% 26 334 265 12 1 634 16 12 168 4 1 $1,372,265 0 12

AR 1073 1040 33 53 20.1% 25 267 260 10 2 509 3 10 264 4 4 $329,984 3 51

AZ 1288 1258 30 76 11.6% 17 254 217 7 9 784 19 46 246 10 2 $518,193 5 23

CA 1922 1841 81 162 17.4% 26 506 380 10 1 999 17 14 369 9 7 $2,070,281 35 44

CO 735 703 32 25 15.1% 19 245 129 0 0 342 4 3 210 36 10 $679,017 57 39

CT 614 593 21 34 17.6% 17 190 121 7 0 279 6 8 75 1 1 $337,500 0 3

DC 466 429 37 32 21.2% 13 114 84 2 0 253 2 8 24 0 0 $748,723 0 0

DE 381 362 19 36 17.8% 15 129 89 3 1 144 3 9 58 3 7 $231,790 1 0

FL 986 944 42 55 16.9% 21 239 219 6 2 499 11 14 151 3 4 $1,110,282 26 7

GA 1023 980 43 66 15.7% 13 295 166 3 0 546 12 15 201 28 5 $855,661 0 7

GU 27 26 1 1 29.6% 1 14 7 0 0 5 4 18 34 2 7 $0 0 0

HI 893 869 24 57 15.6% 13 222 148 14 0 496 6 13 133 2 7 $438,126 1 0

IA 1074 1051 23 48 14.4% 28 304 239 10 6 487 18 7 152 0 2 $567,564 0 23

ID 674 651 23 39 11.4% 22 146 111 7 1 387 9 10 122 3 0 $213,379 0 3

IL 1277 1248 29 48 19.0% 26 414 250 8 2 577 16 14 186 5 2 $542,282 2 41

IN 1062 1013 49 68 14.6% 37 306 183 7 1 528 16 22 164 6 6 $368,253 3 8

KS 1066 1032 34 66 13.1% 21 409 146 4 1 485 4 2 125 1 2 $276,178 0 8

KY 741 706 35 39 14.0% 21 208 155 2 0 355 2 4 98 7 1 $280,840 8 2

LA 907 887 20 49 15.9% 19 208 124 5 0 551 11 16 97 1 2 $725,766 0 0

MA 951 914 37 56 17.6% 25 301 163 10 0 452 5 6 141 4 1 $1,214,759 0 2

MD 747 704 43 52 18.6% 15 193 138 8 1 392 5 3 197 16 6 $420,262 3 2

ME 542 518 24 33 18.3% 18 174 134 10 0 206 8 2 76 0 4 $181,086 2 22

MI 1142 1104 38 60 15.1% 25 286 181 4 0 646 16 12 175 9 1 $569,247 0 29

MN 1185 1145 40 54 15.8% 28 300 281 13 1 562 11 8 264 9 4 $674,115 5 1

MO 1256 1205 51 93 15.0% 20 302 327 12 1 598 18 17 205 9 5 $376,685 0 22

MS 1457 1409 48 102 12.6% 27 295 295 19 5 816 10 12 181 10 7 $973,658 2 0

MT 573 557 16 30 18.2% 18 182 91 1 2 279 2 9 110 4 4 $768,497 0 7

NC 1138 1093 45 65 17.0% 20 277 273 7 1 560 3 22 159 3 9 $452,152 16 0

ND 594 573 21 35 18.4% 22 226 130 7 1 208 13 8 111 1 2 $35,170 0 34

NE 564 539 25 29 16.8% 16 174 116 3 1 254 8 6 96 2 3 $114,336 6 3

NH 390 373 17 39 16.2% 17 153 87 2 0 131 10 5 51 4 0 $187,258 0 1

NJ 926 892 34 78 21.0% 19 277 168 4 2 456 22 9 326 0 1 $961,923 16 5

NM 465 439 26 33 16.8% 13 166 80 2 0 204 2 3 48 0 0 $416,581 0 7

NV 517 489 28 27 17.6% 18 186 87 4 0 222 6 2 53 6 11 $564,773 0 0

NY 1840 1783 57 101 13.4% 45 472 314 9 4 996 21 13 278 12 17 $2,643,933 0 0

OH 1744 1688 56 91 15.0% 39 539 392 9 3 762 18 34 331 11 4 $696,015 19 19

OK 1002 973 29 55 17.5% 20 260 203 8 0 511 2 11 150 6 6 $589,866 2 17

OR 977 944 33 82 13.1% 20 271 122 2 1 561 17 5 163 4 0 $456,152 0 18

PA 1692 1631 61 117 15.5% 36 426 322 12 12 884 53 40 367 2 11 $953,532 9 20

PR 730 724 6 69 15.9% 16 199 195 12 7 301 6 10 181 12 2 $751,735 0 77

RI 258 237 21 31 20.5% 9 114 44 3 0 88 4 7 138 2 2 $409,277 1 4

SC 1184 1139 45 78 16.9% 24 320 242 9 5 584 4 3 143 2 2 $510,659 0 2

SD 591 574 17 45 14.0% 21 181 117 2 1 269 18 8 81 3 4 $162,535 8 0

TN 1673 1623 50 125 14.0% 25 428 408 8 2 802 20 21 384 6 4 $1,000,595 4 206

TX 1820 1741 79 119 16.1% 32 465 335 8 1 979 18 21 249 4 15 $1,130,455 4 6

UT 771 732 39 51 11.4% 21 225 145 2 1 377 6 7 168 12 1 $292,251 0 20

VA 789 755 34 45 20.9% 17 174 171 20 0 407 3 7 84 2 2 $379,291 0 0

VI 124 117 7 14 50.8% 7 52 29 7 0 29 1 1 19 0 2 $10,375 0 0

VT 520 494 26 51 14.6% 16 195 86 1 0 222 17 4 94 4 1 $502,103 0 14

WA 766 739 27 44 18.5% 17 266 140 6 0 337 15 9 226 12 4 $397,796 18 76

WI 1004 971 33 38 17.3% 22 298 190 5 2 487 20 27 330 1 1 $586,821 0 190

WV 928 905 23 57 14.1% 31 231 173 3 2 488 9 16 121 7 3 $379,462 0 0

WY 445 426 19 32 18.4% 17 169 92 1 2 164 1 3 71 0 1 $79,374 2 17

F or the past four months, we have made efforts to increase the level of customer service and

accountability within the Office of Technician Personnel. Today we will take another step

and begin efforts to become active participants in the Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) sys-

tem. Many of you already use ICE feedback to improve service to your customers and examine

your internal processes. I have used ICE feedback previously and look forward to receiving your feedback respective to the service you

receive from the Office of Technician Personnel. For those who have not used ICE previously, the system allows you to give me, direct

and immediate feedback about the services, products, and processes being provided. With the click of a mouse, ICE will send your com-

ments, suggestions, compliments, and/or complaints directly to me. ICE can be accessed from any computer, at any time and any place,

so it is very convenient to use. Information provided through ICE is con­fidential and will only be viewed by Branch Chiefs, the Deputy

and me. Your feedback provides first hand information that will enable us to learn what needs to be improved, what is working just fine,

what staff members are providing outstanding customer service and which members may need additional customer service training.

The Office of Technician Personnel is committed to using ICE. All Technician Personnel staff members‟ signature blocks will c ontain a

link to the NGB Technician Personnel ICE comment card for customer convenience. Mr Tetreault or I will ensure that all incoming ICE

comment cards are acknowledged and/or responded to within 2 days of receipt Monday through Friday. To visit the ICE site, go to

http://ice.disa.mil/.

Access to the Office of Technician Personnel ICE cards will be included on all NGB-J1-TN e-mail signature blocks within the next two

weeks. Although ICE affords customer anonymity, sometimes this protection hinders the staff‟s ability to provide a customer solution or

answer because they need more information. If possible, I encourage you to provide contact information so we can follow up directly

with you. I am eager to hear from you, about the service being provided and am soliciting your feedback through ICE. The Technician

Personnel staff wants to not only meet your needs and expectations but to go a step beyond. If you have any questions about ICE, con-

tact the NGB-J1-TN ICE Manager Bob Tetreault at (703) 601–2980 or Robert.tetreault@ngb.army.mil.

Page 5 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 4

Customer Service and Accountability COL Susan Niemetz

OPM Announces 2013 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Premium Rates

T he 2013 Open Season for health, dental, and vision insurance and flexible spending accounts will be held from November 12, 2012 to December 10, 2012. The annual Open Season gives federal employees and retirees the opportunity to review their health plan

choices and make changes for the following year. It also allows eligible employees to enroll for coverage. FEHB Program enrollees should review the benefits and premiums for their health plan choices and decide what coverage will best fit their healthcare needs in the coming year.

Additionally, beginning on May 1, 2012, employees of eligible tribes and tribal organizations may now enroll for FEHB coverage. This will be the first regular Open Season enrollment period for tribes and tribal organization employees to make changes to their current health plans. Approximately 33 tribes with 3254 tribal employees are currently enrolled. During Open Season employees of participating tribes and tribal organiza-tions may also stay with their current FEHB plan or select a new one.

Established in 1960, the FEHB Program is the largest employer-sponsored health benefits program in the United States. In 2013, employees, retirees, and their families will have 230 health plan choices. The government provides a weighted average contribution of 72 percent of premiums with a cap of no more than 75 percent of total premium cost. Approximately 90 percent of all fed-eral employees participate in the Program.

For the more information on the premium rates, please see: http://www.opm.gov/insure/openseason/factsheet.asp.

Telework Mr. John Christie

The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 is a key factor in the Federal Government's ability to achieve greater flexibility in managing its

workforce through the use of telework. Well established and implemented telework programs provide agencies a valuable tool to meet

mission objectives while helping employees enhance work life effectiveness.

Specifically, telework: 1) is a useful strategy to improve Continuity of Operations to help ensure that essential Federal functions continue

during emergency situations; 2) promotes management effectiveness when telework is used to target reductions in management costs and

environmental impact and transit costs; and 3) enhances work-life balance, i.e., telework allows

employees to better manage their work and family obligations, retaining a more resilient workforce

able to better meet agency goals.

The National Guard supports the Telework Enhancement Act 2010 and promotes its use when

possible. The Office of Personnel Management's (OPM), The Guide to Telework in the Federal Govern-

ment, outlines practical information to assist Federal agencies, managers, supervisors, and employ-

ees. Additional information on telework can be found at: www.telework.gov . There you can find

information on mandatory training requirement and answer to frequently asked question.

“The National Guard

supports the Telework

Enhancement Act

2010.”

Page 6 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 4

OPM Fall Festival Ms. Deana McDaniel

The Retirement Services, Benefits Officers Training and Development (BOTD) announce their 2012 Fall Festival of Training. The OPM Fall Festival is scheduled for 27-29 November 2012, at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. Training will consist of an array of 27 workshops and meets the requirement in 5 U.S.C. 8350(c)(3) for Retirement Counselors. If you are responsible for administering benefits in your agency or providing counseling to employ-ees about their benefits, you don't want to miss out on these informative workshops. The registration deadline is Friday, October 26, 2012. Registration and listing of the workshop can be found at https://registration.golearnportal.org/.

ABC-C Update - Discontinuing of Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) Mr. John Christie Effective 15 September 2012, the Army Benefits Center-Civilian (ABC-C) discon-

tinued the IVRS phone system transaction method. The process allowed employ-

ees to make their elections via the automated phones system. This option no

longer exists. Customers should be directed to use the Employee Benefits Infor-

mation System (EBIS) for elections and counselor assisted transactions via the toll

free 1-877 276-9287.

“The OPM Fall Festival

is scheduled for 27-29

November 2012.”

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revised Standard Form (SF) 3107, Application for Immediate Retirement (Federal Employees Retirement System). The new version of this form is dated May 2012. Previous versions of the form are not usable. Retirement applica-tions for annuities beginning after September 30, 2012, must use the new form which can be obtained from the Office of Personnel Man-agement (OPM) web site at www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp . The SF 3107 was revised to include: a. married applicants need to include a copy of their marriage certificate with the application package;

b. the instructions for Section B (Federal Service) to clarify rules for crediting military service toward FERS re-tirement;

c. the instructions for Section D (Annuity Election) to clarify information regarding survivor election options;

d. a new field in Section E of the application to obtain information about the applicant‟s enrollment in the Fed-eral Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP);

e. updated instructions and options in Section H (Payment Instructions) to reflect the Department of Treasury‟s new direct deposit requirements;

f. a new item in the Applicant‟s Checklist reminding the applicant to include a copy of any court order awarding a former spouse a survivor annuity and/or any court or administrative order that requires the applicant to pro-vide health benefits coverage for his/her child(ren), if either of these are applicable;

g. the Payroll Office Checklist in Section B of Schedule D to ensure that sick leave balances as of retirement are included on the payroll records (SF 3100/SF 3100A). This is due to the changes in the National Defense Au-

thorization Act which now allow the crediting of unused sick leave for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirees who separate for retirement on or after October 28, 2009; and

h. Revision of Part 1 of SF 3107-2 (Spouse‟s Consent to Survivor Election) to include situations where a former spouse survivor election has been made.

OPM also revised SF 3113, Applying for Immediate Retirement Under the Federal Employees Retirement System.

This informational pamphlet should be given to all employees requesting infor-mation about applying for Federal Retirement.

Page 7 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 4

Revision of Standard Form (SF) 3107 Mr. John Christie

The USERRA contains several provisions that effect National Guard members and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP):

1. FERS employees are eligible to receive retroactive Agency Automatic (1%) Contributions and earnings for the period of non-pay status or separation associated with performing military service;

2. FERS employees are eligible to receive retroactive Agency Matching contributions to their civilian; TSP ac-counts if they contributed to their uniformed services accounts for the period of non-pay or separation to per-form military service;

3. FERS and CSRS employees may make up employee contributions to their civilian TSP accounts that they missed as a result of performing military service. FERS employees will receive Agency Matching Contributions;

4. FERS employees who were not vested upon separation from civilian service, and who had Agency Automatic (1%) Contributions and attributable earnings removed from their TSP accounts, are entitled to have those funds restored to their accounts;

5. Participants who separated from civilian service and received automatic cash out of their accounts may return the funds (and, if ap-plicable, reestablish a TSP loan that was closed as a taxable distribution);

6. The repayment terms of any outstanding civilian TSP loan will be extended upon return to civilian employment. For a detail explana-tion of each is provided in the TSP Fact Sheet OC-95-5 (TSP Benefits That Apply to Members of the Military Who Return to Fed-eral) at: https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/oc95-5.pdf .

“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving

your community and world better than you found it.”

Marian Wright Edelman

Page 8 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 4

Thrift Savings and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994 Ms. Deana McDaniel

HR Development - Mandatory Supervisor Training Ms. Adriene Dallas

Last month a new direction for Employee Training and Development was announced; citing four primary goals:

(1) Update and communicate training and professional development policies and pro-cedures.

(2) Develop mandatory workforce training courses and individualized development plans.

(3) Starting with Supervisory training, institute a professional development program.

(4) Succession planning through a formal/informal mentorship program.

This article affirms our commitment towards meeting our stated goals. First things first! Leading from the front the National Guard Bureau is implementing a policy to bring all supervisors of National Guard technicians into compliance with the 2010 Na-tional Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Section 1113 that outlines specific requirements for mandatory Supervisor training. New supervisors (supervisors with less than one year of supervising technician employees) are required to complete supervisor training during their one-year probationary period. Additionally, all supervisors of technician employees are required to complete refresher/sustainment supervisor training at least once every three years. During the month of October, HRD Specialists will work with NGB-J1-TN to adapt the Army Supervisor Development Course to meet the uniqueness of the National Guard Tech-nician Program. Training our leaders first is a foundational step towards developing a professional force.

Page 9 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 4

How Will it Work? To understand the concept of Phased Retirement, consider two half-time employees who fill one full-time job. Employee one retires while employee two continues working. Employee one receives an annuity based on half-time employment, and employee two continues to work half-time for half-pay. Eventually, employee two retires, and receives an annuity based upon half-time service, including credit for the time worked after employee one retired. Now assume that employee one and employee two are the same person. That is in essence how Phased Retirement operates.

While there are additional computational details, these are the basics. At entry into Phased Retirement, the employee‟s annuity will be completed as if fully retired and then divided by two. That annuity would be paid while the individual worked a half time schedule receiving half pay.

When the Phased Retiree fully retires, there will be a computation of the annuity that would be payable if the employee had been employed full time and then divided by two prior to adjustment for survivor benefits. That amount would then be added to the original Phased Retirement Annuity, and that combined amount would then provide the basis for survivor annuity adjustment and benefits. The individual‟s income during partial and full retirement appropriately reflects the individual‟s situation. During the partial retirement period, the income will be between full retirement and full employment, and the Phased Retiree would be increasing their lifetime retirement income. At the time of full retirement, the individual would be appropriately compensated for the value of both full-time and part-time service, with an annuity greater than if they had fully retired at the time of transition to Phased Retirement, but less than if the individual had continued employment on a full-time basis during the period of Phased Retirement.

President Obama signed Public Law 112-141, the "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act," or "MAP-21," on July 6,

2012; Section 100115 creates Phased Retirement. Below, are some of the Questions and Answers (Q/A) OPM provides in refer-

ence to Phased Retirement. These questions and answers are designed to help you understand the major provisions and to explain

to your employees what exactly Phased Retirement is. NGB-J1-TNB will attend OPM‟s quarterly benefits meeting next month,

and will provide updated information as appropriate. If you receive questions not addressed below or not addressed at the OPM

website provided below, please forward them to the NGBTNInbox@ng.army.mil for NGB staff follow-up.

To access a more detailed list on Phased Retirement questions and answers, go to http://www.opm.gov/faq/retire/Index.aspx.

Phased Retirement - Questions and Answers Mr. John Christie

When Will the Phased Retirement Program Become Available? The program will become effective at the time set in the regulations to be issued. Implementation of the program is an important goal of OPM, and this will be accomplished as soon as possible.

What is Phased Retirement? Phased Retirement is a new human resource management tool made possible by section 100115 of Public Law 112-141, the "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act," or "MAP-21," approved

on July 6, 2012.

What Is the Purpose of Phased Retirement? Phased Retirement will encourage the most experienced Federal employees to extend their contributions to the Nation, and will operate as a tool to ensure continuity of operations and to facilitate knowledge management. The main purpose of Phased Retirements is to enhance mentoring and training of the employees who will be filling the positions of more experienced employees who are preparing for full retirement. It is intended to encourage experienced employees to remain, in at least a part-time

capacity, until less experienced employees are fully equipped to fulfill the same duties and responsibilities as those employees who wish to retire.

Who Is Eligible to Participate? Participation is entirely

voluntary, and requires the mutual consent of both the

employee and employing agency. In order to participate, an

individual must have been employed on a full-time basis for

the preceding three years. Under CSRS, the individual must

be eligible for immediate retirement with at least 30 years of

service at age 55, or with 20 years of service at age 60.

Under FERS, the individual must be eligible for immediate

retirement with at least 30 years of service at Minimum

Retirement Age (MRA) (minimum retirement age 55-57

depending upon year of birth), or with 20 years of service at

age 60.

Office of Worker’s Compensation Program Ms. Candace Schupay

Page 10 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 4

training and procedures for confirming future OWCP

claimed technician injuries did not occur during LOD

status was provided to all. The new procedure was pre-

sented to the state ICPAs during the TN Benefits Work-

shop conducted the week of 27 August. ICPAs will receive

additional guidelines based on business operations specific

to each state through the NGB OWCP Liaison team.

Kudos to all responsible OWCP officials for your collec-

tive efforts that resulted in NO findings!

The Army Audit Agency (AAA) completed its 2012 audit of the

Army National Guard Technician Office of Workers‟ Compensa-

tion Program (OWCP).

The AAA audited the Army National Guard Workers‟ Compensa-

tion Program focusing on the duty status of the technician at the

time of injury. Also, verifying that the National Guard had proc-

esses in place to ensure NG workers„compensation claims were

associated with injuries that occurred during the employee's official

Title 32 technician civilian duties and not while in performance of

military duties.

The AAA team met the OWCP and Management personnel from

NGB TNB-OWCP, Texas and Pennsylvania HROs. They con-

ducted reviews of all NGB and State level policies, procedures,

training records for supervisors, claim case file reviews for investi-

gations, challenges of questionable situations, as well as researched

the Military pay system for potential line of duty related injuries or

conditions. The result of the audit follows:

the majority of current claims with high costs and permanent

disability resulting in wage compensation were dated prior to

2008; and

most claims met the element of performance of duty during

technician status; and

state supervisor training is well-documented for annual and

refresher improved OWCP training; and

only 93 cases out of 3,829 claims filed from 2008 through

2011 require additional validation related to questionable re-

ceipt of military status pay on the claimed dates of injury; and

one accepted injury claim case rescinded through notification

to Department of Labor (DOL) by the ICPA that the ac-

cepted claim was in fact a LOD injury.

The National Guard Bureau requested follow-up action through

its Regional OWCP Liaison team with the state ICPAs by 15 Sep-

tember 2012. To date, approximately 70% of cases are validated as

being in performance of technician duty status. Additionally, new

“Success is dependent on effort.”

Sophocles

Page 11 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

Classification & Position Management - “The Way Ahead” Ms. Judy Kellar

In recent years, our challenges, as well as customer expectations remained high. In an effort to successfully meet and exceed our service and cus-tomer satisfaction, the NGB Classification and Position Management Branch (NGB-J1-TNC) transitioned from Salt Lake City, Utah to Arling-ton Hall II, Virginia. There are currently four classifiers assigned to Ar-lington Hall II; with one classifier working out of the Salt Lake City office to finalize several Position Description (PD) packages “in-work” and prepare historical files for transport to Arlington Hall II. Following a thorough examination of backlogged work and discussions with State HRO professionals and senior leaders, we developed four pri-mary business objectives to implement over the next 12 months.

1. Program Management, Function, and Purpose: The PD/Classification Release Authority (CRA) format was changed to consolidate classification and qualification information into one release document. We will use the Army Fully Automated System for Classification (FASCLASS) and Air Force Standard Core Personnel Document Library (SCPD) as reference sources; and, will use classified PDs, taken from FASCLASS and SCPD, to develop and classify National Guard technician PDs. Throughout this process, our focus is to provide timely and accurate descriptions of work that align with the purpose and role of a technician, as defined by law. Each NGB-J1-TNC Classifier will also regularly “partner” with assigned NGB functional managers to gain insight into their functions, missions , and organiza-tional structures. Strategic business partnerships will ensure effective continuity and consistency in the classification process. 2. Full PD Reviews and Assessments: We identified 700 PDs published more than 10 years ago; with many dating back to the 1980s. The NGB-J1-TNC staff will conduct a “bottoms-up” review of each PD to determine its function, placement, and relevance to current Army and Air National Guard mission requirements. As we review each PD, we will identify those technicians assigned to the older PDs then, coordinate these assignments with the respective State HROs, work with the NGB functional managers and respective manpower personnel to determine which PDs are still applicable for use, and abolish those PDs that are no longer relevant. 3. Individual Development Plans (IDPs): Each NGB-J1-TNC and HRO Classification Specialist will receive an IDP. The objective of the IDP is to provide a planned, systematic “roadmap” that allows for each Specialist to acquire the competencies necessary to profes-sionally develop his/her career opportunities and to achieve the highest standards of performance defined within the classification career field. 4. Delegated Classification Authority (DCA): The objectives of the DCA “pilot” program are to improve efficiencies; simplif y the classi-fication process; and eliminate PDs that do not accurately reflect work performed. The DCA “pilot” program is planned to launch the first quarter of FY13 and end on 30 September 2013. State HROs may volunteer to participate in the DCA “pilot” program beginning 1 October 2012. Look for a concept plan, explaining the program in more detail, toward the end of October 2012. The key words to remember are Performance – Training - Accountability. The NGB-J1-TNC staff recognizes that State Classification Specialists are an integral part of the National Guard team. Your active participation and support is welcome and critical to our success in meeting classification program management objectives, curriculum development, and training initiatives. The NGB-J1-TNC staff is ready to assist you – our customer. We hold ourselves accountable for quality work, professional expertise, and consistent responsiveness. Our goal is to provide outstanding service that exceeds customer expectations.

Page 12 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

Labor Relations - Duty To Bargain Checklist Mr. Randy Corlew

This article provides a list of reasons why a particular proposal may fall outside an activity‟s duty to bargain. This listing does not address whether a proposal is nonnegotiable (i.e., violates management‟s rights or government-wide law, rule or regulation.) Please review the checklist as part of the process for declaring a union proposal nonnegotiable. If you answer “Yes” to any of these questions, you may not have an obligation to bargain over the particular proposal. (Of course, even if a proposal falls within one of these categories, you may still wish to bargain over the matter.)

____ Does the proposal directly affect non-bargaining unit employees‟ conditions of employment? (E.g., supervisors, customers.)

____ Does the proposal directly affect the conditions of employment of employees‟ in other bargain-ing units?

____ Does the proposal concern matters outside of the working relationship? (E.g., swimming in the installation lake after working hours.)

____ Is the subject matter of the proposal covered by (included in) the parties‟ agreement?

___ Did the parties‟ previously negotiate over the proposal and elect not to include it in the negotiated agreement?

____ Does the management initiated change, which is the subject of the negotiations, have a de mini-mus affect on the bargaining unit employees?

____ Has the union specifically waive its right to negotiate over the matter?

____ Does the proposal limit management‟s statutory rights?

____ Was management authorized to take the action it is proposing by the terms of the parties‟ agree-ment?

ELECTRONIC OFFICIAL PERSONNEL FOLDER (eOPF) INFORMATION

“All forms on the National Guard Agency Specific Forms List will be the only approved state unique forms allowed to be uploaded

into eOPF.”

Page 13 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

To create our back-filing Busi-ness Rules, the Human Re-sources Offices were tasked to captured and identify all state unique forms that are filed in Official Personnel Folders (OPF). Memorandums TN-12-01, National Guard (NG) electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) Assessment Data Call, dated 19 January 2012 and TNH 12-030, NG eOPF Agency Forms List Data Call, dated 19 April 2012 were sent out to identify these unique forms used in your office.

We had a great response from all Human Resources Offices and numerous forms were submitted. These forms are currently in the process of being adjudicated by the Of-fice of Personnel Management (OPM). Once adjudicated and approved by OPM, they will be added to our National Guard Agency Specific Forms List and posted to GKO. All forms on the National Guard Agency Specific Forms List will be the only approved state unique forms allowed to be uploaded into eOPF. All new state unique forms

created in your Human Re-

sources Office and any forms

that you identify that are not

on OPMs Master or Tempo-

rary Forms List that you up-

load in eOPF must be sent to

the eOPF Helpdesk at

ngb.ngeopf.help@ng.army.mil

for OPMs adjudication proc-

ess. All forms must have a

form number and a form title

as this will provide consistency

and continuity for proper in-

dexing of forms.

PROCESSING PAY REJECT (“PAYNEW”) REPORTS

Payroll Reject notifications (PYREJ) are returned to the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System (DCPDS) on the day the transac-tion rejects at the Defense Civilian Pay System (DCPS). A daily recurring report process will produce PAYNEW reports for reject notifications that have been received since the last execution of the report. Also known as “Returns to Personnel”, the rej ect noti-fications process against the employee‟s DCPDS record to allow inclusion of current related information on the report.

This report should be reviewed by the Human Resources Specialist (Information Systems) (HRS(IS)) before forwarding to the func-

tional specialist. A suspense date will need to be implemented for correction/resolution of the reject. The Nature of Action (NOA)

or the Corrected NOA that rejected determines the section(s) with responsibility. The reject report should be returned to the

HRS(IS) after correction/resolution by the responsible section. Note: This report should automatically print; check the Pay Status

Report (Personnel/Payroll Interface) for personnel reject messages and verify that a PYREJ printed for each reject message. These

rejects can also be views within DCPDS via the Payroll Reject view screen. Below is an example:

Page 14 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

Supervisors/Managers have the capability to run Performance Management Reports in My Workplace. These can be run by logging

into the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System (DCPDS) Portal at https:/compo.dcpds.cpms.osd.mil and selecting, My Work-

place>View/Print Performance Management Reports.

This is a three step process. Step 1 is to select a report name. Type the report name you wish to run. If you don‟t know the name of

the report, use the search icon to find the name.

SUPERVISORS/MANAGERS CAN RUN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REPORTS VIA MY WORKPLACE

CHANGING EMPLOYEE ADDRESSES IN THE

DEFENSE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL DATA SYS-

TEM (DCPDS)

When an employee wishes to change his/her home address in the personnel system, it should be done

either in MyPay or by notifying the employee‟s payroll office. If the home address is updated in

DCPDS but not in Defense Civilian Payroll Office (DCPS), the new updated address will be overwrit-

ten with the interface received biweekly from the DCPS payroll system.

Page 15 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

Choose the applicable report from the list and hit the “Select” button. Always select reports for “NG” (National Guard).

In Step 2, you set the parameter of the report by selecting the data fields needed. The required data fields (those with asterisks) must be

completed. You must select a minimum of two fields in order for the report to run. Select the “Next” button.

Next complete Step 3, verify your information and select the “Submit” button to continue.

“Supervisors/Managers

have the capability to

run Performance

Management Reports in

My Workplace”

Page 16 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

Once the report has been scheduled, the “Request ID” is furnished. Click OK to continue.

Once the report is generated, click on the “Output” icon to view the report.

Business Objects Quality Control (QC) of the Month

Page 17 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

With the electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) coming online, this seems like a great time to

stress the importance of a query that has recently been put into the corporate documents folder. The

NGB-BI-WEEKLY-EBIS TRANS CK (refer to TNH 11-065, Subject: Business Objects Application

(BOA) Query Moved to the NG Corporate Documents Folder, dated 5 August 2011) is a must run

query to ensure that the proper TSP and FEHB forms are in fact being sent to the employees eOPF.

The query itself is quite simple. It is a straight data pull with two report filters based on a variable.

This variable is looking at how many days it has been between the FEHB effective date and the current date. The other variable is the

same but uses the TSP action effective date.

These two variables are then used in a report filter to narrow it down to 15 days or less. This report should be run and provided to

your Benefits Section once every 2 weeks to ensure the proper information is flowing into the employee‟s record.

Employment of Military Technicians with a Combat-Related Disability Ms. Leslie Page

Page 18 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

I n recent months, NGB-J1-TNS has

fielded a number of phone calls and e

-mails, from different State HROs, ques-

tioning the qualifications that allow for

the retention and continued employment

of Dual Status military technicians who

lose military membership due to a com-

bat-related disability.

The FY08 National Defense Authoriza-

tion Act [Public Law 110-181], amended

10 U.S.C. Section 10216(g) to allow for

the retention of military technicians, as

Non-Dual Status (NDS), when they lose

military membership resulting from a

combat-related disability and, as a condi-

tion of employment, no longer qualify for

fulltime employment as a Dual-Status

military technician.

In several discussions with State HROs

we‟ve discovered that, in many cases, Dual

Status technician candidates do not qualify

for non-competitive employment as a

NDS technician, under P.L. 110-181, be-

cause their combat-related disability and

loss of military membership occurred

prior to the passage of P.L. 110-181.

The provisions of this authority were en-

acted into law on 28 January 2008. Dual

Status military technicians, who lose mili-

tary membership due to a combat-related

disability prior to the 28 January 2008

date, are not eligible for NDS technician

employment under this authority. Dual

Status technicians who involuntarily lose

military membership “other than by re-

moval for cause on charges of misconduct

or delinquency” may qualify for continued

employment under the provisions of 5

CFR 315.610.

It is important to note that while a combat

-related disability and loss of military

membership precludes a technician from

remaining employed as a Dual Status mili-

tary technician, HR Specialists must en-

sure that the technician is physically and

mentally qualified to perform the duties

required of the NDS technician position

description (PD) of assignment. Positions

that are inherently military, in the per-

formance of assigned duties (e.g. military

command, pilot, aircrew, Key Staff), can-

not be used to accommodate a NDS tech-

nician under the provisions of this non-

competitive employment authority.

State HR Specialists are encouraged to

become familiar with the guidance and

instructions detailed in Staffing Internal

Operating Procedure (IOP) No. 2009-04,

dated June 2009. Table 1 of the IOP,

serves as a reference guide specific to the

types of injuries and the conditions under

which these injuries qualify for considera-

tion and continued employment under

this law.

State HR Specialists should contact their

NGB-J1-TNS Regional Program Manager

for questions or requests for additional

information specific to the provisions of

Public Law 100-181

Page 19 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

T his information is provided to respond to numerous questions regarding

use of military physical requirements to qualify for technician positions.

Excepted service technicians are required by law to be members of the Na-

tional Guard in the state in which they are employed. The physical and

medical qualification requirements associated with National Guard mem-

bership do not apply to the technician program. Supervisors and managers cannot add

military physical or medical requirements to a technician position description. The re-

quirement to pass a PT test or maintain weight standards are prerequisites for continued

military service; they are not conditions for continued technician employment. The inabil-

ity to pass a military PT test cannot be considered failure to meet a condition of employ-

ment. A technician who fails a military PT test which results in loss of military member-

ship should be separated under the provisions of Technician Personnel Regulation (TPR)

715, paragraph 3-1, Loss of Military Membership.

There may be instances when a technician fails to meet a condition of employment for

continued technician service. The most common instances are addressed in TPR 715. Paragraph 3-2, TPR 715, addresses actions to

be taken due to failure to meet a condition of employment. If a technician cannot perform the duties of his or her technician position

due to medical or physical limitations, but continues to be a member of the National Guard, management must take appropriate ac-

tion to address the limitations. The appropriate action (paragraph 3-2b, TPR 715) may be to:

(1) Leave the technician in their assigned position and suspend physical duty requirements until the injury/illness is resolved;

(2) Detail the technician for a period of time to allow for recovery from the injury/illness that caused the physical duty restriction;

(3) Reassign the technician to a position that does not have a physical duty requirement;

(4) Offer the technician a change to lower grade; or

(5) Terminate the technician.

If none of these options are acceptable or available to management, it may be necessary to terminate the technician for failure to meet a condition of employment.

National Guard Military Physical or Medical Qualification Requirements and Technician Employment

Ms. Gloria Sassman

Welcome Aboard

Page 20 Technic ian Personnel Management Volume 1, I ssue 3

Please join the NGB-J1-TNC staff in extending a warm welcome to Ms. Heidi

Parker and Ms. Charda Bright! Ms. Parker is a former member of the Califor-

nia Air National Guard. In 2006, she joined the NGB-J1 team and served on

a Title 10 Statutory Tour as the NCOIC of Manpower and Personnel for

NGB-J1. Her primary accomplishment while serving as the NCOIC was to

manage and administer the Title 10 military training requirements for ANG

members assigned to the NGB Joint Staff. She continued to work for the J1

until her retirement from military service in June 2012. Heidi graduated in

2011 with a MBA-Human Resources and brings a wealth of knowledge from

her military MAJCOM and ANG Wing experiences. Our second new em-

ployee is a very familiar face to the Technician Division. Ms. Bright trans-

ferred from the HR Information Systems, NGB-J1-TNH, as a Title 5 em-

ployee and is an excellent complement to the team's composition. Her knowl-

edge of DCPDS and expanded knowledge of the technician program lend

positive support to the classification program's business objectives. Both la-

dies are ready to share their human resources competencies and provide cus-

tomer support to our field classifiers.

Classification - Ms. Heidi Parker Ms. Charda Bright

Systems - Ms. Inez Dent

We in NGB-J1-TNH would like you to join us in welcoming

our newest staff member, Ms. Inez Dent. Inez comes to us

from the Department of Army where she served five years as a

Human Resources Specialist (Info Sys). Inez is a native of Lou-

isiana and upon graduation from high school in 1988, she joined

the US Army where she served 9 ½ years while stationed at Ft.

Ord, CA, Schofield Barracks, HI and Ft. Lee Virginia. During

her service in the Army, she was also deployed for a year to

Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Storm/Desert

Shield. Inez started her civil service career in August 1998

working as a Personnel Assistant for the Defense Commissary at

Ft Lee, VA. She held various other positions to include HR

Assistant (Processing), HR Specialist (Staffing) and HR Special-

ist (Info Sys) while working for DECA. In 2007 she transferred

to the International Broadcasting Bureau where she served in

the position of HR Specialist (Info Sys). In July 2008 she trans-

ferred to a position with the Department of Army as an HR

Specialist (Info Sys) where she served for 5 years. Inez brings

over 14 years of knowledge and experience in the HR arena and

we are so excited to have her join our team as part of the

DCPDS Helpdesk staff .

Staffing - Ms. Wendy Howell

Please join the NGB-J1-TNS staff in extending a warm "welcome back" to Ms. Wendy Howell! A former member of the Washington State Air National Guard, Wendy first joined the NGB-J1-TN team in 2001, when she was selected to serve on a Title 10 Statutory Tour with the NGB Classification Branch (NGB-J1-TNC). Highly skilled, and credited with an outstanding reputation for service early-on, Wendy was an easy choice to assist Mr. Crowley and COL Niemetz with developing the functional and administrative protocols for the newly established Directorate of Manpower and Personnel (NGB-J1) in 2003; where she continued to work until her retirement from military service in September 2009. Shortly after retirement, Wendy returned to NGB-J1 as a contractor working with NGB-J1 Family Programs; where she later transitioned to Federal civilian employment. This past July, Wendy readily accepted an opportunity to return to NGB-J1-TN, and we're thrilled that she did! Wendy is currently assigned as an HR Specialist in the Employment & Pay Branch (NGB-J1-TNS) and serves alongside Carl McNeece as the TNS Regional Program Manager for Regions I and IV.

With mixed emotions, NGB-J1-TN will soon be saying farewell to CMSgt

Diane Valland. CMSgt Valland is from the South Dakota Air National

Guard and has served as the Human Resources Specialist (Information Sys-

tems) (HRS(IS)) since July 2004. As the Primary Member of her region for

the Information Systems Advisory Committee (ISAC), CMSgt Valland has

provided great support for the National Guard Title 32 Technician Program

in the Human Resources Information Systems area. Hence, in April 2012,

the Technician Personnel Management Division, HR Systems Branch was

delighted when CMSgt Valland accepted a special assignment Active Duty

Operational Support (ADOS) tour to the National Guard Bureau.

As anticipated, CMSgt Valland stepped right in at the national level and im-

mediately became part of the team responsible for deploying the electronic

Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) throughout the National Guard (NG).

While on this team, she served as a subject matter expert responsible for de-

veloping business rules, compiling the NG„s unique forms list, coordinating

the eOPF training initiative, serving on the eOPF Helpdesk team responding

to inquiries covering a multitude of issues/aspects relating to eOPF, and

conducting national DCOs for information exchanges with the states, territo-

ries, and District of Columbia in support of the National Guard Bureau‟s eOPF Program

Manager‟s Office. This required her to work very closely with eOPF Project Managers and

Program Analysts from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Northrop

Grumman. Her expertise was instrumental in helping to ensure National Guard Title 32

unique requirements were incorporated into the eOPF initiative.

CMSgt Valland‟s ADOS tour with NGB-J1-TN will end on 30 September 2012, at which

time she will return to her position as the South Dakota HRS(IS). Her return to the HRS(IS)

position will be short lived, as she plans to retire in November of this year with 33 years of

service in the National Guard. We would like to express our gratitude for the excellent sup-

port, effort, and expertise that CMSgt Valland has provided to the Technician Personnel

Management Division, and the entire National Guard Title 32 Technician Program over the

last 6 months. We wish her the best on her impending retirement.

Congratulations to CMSgt Valland and to the

South Dakota National Guard

Technician Spotlight

CMSgt Diane Valland

Arlington Hall Station II

111 S. George Mason Drive

Arlington, VA 22204

Suite 1P 126

Phone: (703) 607-5419

DSN 329-5419

E-mail: susan.niemetz@us.army.mil or

NGB TN Inbox@us.army.mil

“Supporting those who are

Always Ready...Always There”

NGB Office of Technician Management