We are running out of work, and i know other offices are having the same problem. What is the end game here? Is the goal to eliminate most of the engineers and architects like they did with federal workers in other agencies?

We are getting nothing from our management.

Could USACE employees already on the Acq Demo Pay scale share their experience? Do you prefer it? Should we be worried about a pay cut? Will you lose money if you’re on special salary?

We just heard about it today at my district and everyone seems to be freaking out. But from what I have read, it doesn’t seem to be too bad?

Would love to hear any thoughts from people experiencing it. Thanks!

Hello,

My husband is considering working at an Army Corps of Engineer ran hydropower project. He is already an operator at a smaller dam, so we are used to rotating schedules. But can anyone chime in about the work/life balance of working at a larger dam? What are the positives/negatives for raising children in such an environment? Thank you!

How has the transition to Acq Demo Pay Band been going?

Any insights from anyone from MVD and what the initial reactions are?

I would appreciate any help on my resume. I am finding it hard to determine which of my chemistry skills are relevant for this position. I want to work as a natural resource specialist or an environmental protection specialist.

Anyone at Huntington district have the scoop on this posting? (Interdisciplinary Project Manager, CERE-26-12981780-MPP)

Are they so hard up for PMs they’re allowing the position to be filled from another AO? Based on the post, it looks like they’re willing to take someone on who can go into a local district office.

Does completing LDP makes a difference when looking for Promotions? What’s yall take on it?

Hello. I'm doing some reading on shipping a truck over to Europe. It appears the Toyota Tacoma meets the size and weight restrictions. It also appears finding gas in Germany/Netherlands/Belgium is not a problem. Before I buy a Tacoma I wanted to see if anyone here has shipped a truck over? I'm asking because I've been told that not many people have trucks over there. I need a truck. I'm always hauling stuff. My wife plans to buy furniture over there, etc. Thanks for your help and info.

I do not do any type of time keeping. I want that to be noted first. I have an online training coming up and I currently work 5/4 9's. The training is on my long week so I will be here in the office all week. My time keeper told me I have to come off of AWS for the training because I will be using the training code for 8 hours. I told them that doesn't make sense can't I just come in at my regular time and charge 8 hours to the training and 1 hour to our regular charge codes we use? They said no when you use that training code it locks the 8 hours and doesn't let you use another charge code for that day. Is this true? It seems like this can't be true. We split hours for days on different time codes all the time. Why can't I just charge 1 hour to a different code and stay on my AWS? My time keeper hasn't been here that long so they could be wrong but thought I would ask here.

I am currently a GS-12/6 under Job Series 0810 , under the Special Salary Rate table. I learned GS-12 and GS-13 will be lumped into one group as NH-3. It seems like I will be getting a pay decrease ? it seems AcqDemo means no loss of pay for the base salary , not necessarily other adjustments? this is pretty stressful, my salary will go down $14k-$15k if no consideration /adjustment is made for the SSR. anyone else have more insight?

Does anyone have any tips on getting photos off of a work phone before a factory reset? iPhone 16. I can’t connect to any work apps anymore, that’s why they want to reset. I was able to transfer to my personal phone using airdrop, but not sure how to move them from there. Too many photos to email.

Hello, Been working for about 8 years on private side and looking to get into USACE as a geotech engineer, don't see any opening in that region so should i just wait or apply for different districts? any insight is helpful.

Anyone have info on when performance awards will be rolling out? Just checked my LES and it’s not this PP, lol.

An internal posting for a job I'm considering has the new OPM short essay questions built into the application. It says 'responses are not required and will not be scored', however, one cannot submit an application without providing text in the boxes.

Without getting into it on 'why not just answer the questions?'.... does anyone know if applications are getting through without providing answers, i.e. putting in a period to trick the webpage to allow the submission?

So I’m a Structural Engineer that’s a GS 12 Step 2. It is my understanding that NH-03 is the payband that groups all of GS 12 and 13. Now is it true that our raises are achievable annually, but at the expense of self reporting mid year and annual reviews and hoping your role? I also don’t have my PE yet, but since there is no hard split in the payband, is it achievable to obtain GS 13 Step 10 pay without a PE? Or is there some kind of soft cap for non PE’s? I would assume something needs to be implemented cuz workers can’t max out at the same pay as their supervisors.

I’m on an independent health hdhp. One of the benefits was that $1000 of the premium I paid “passed through” and into an HSA.” (QA4) this year I changed from self only to self plus family. The published benefit is that once you add the family, your pass through to the HSA is $2000. My health plan change was effective in February and I feel that’s been long enough for the change to go through but my monthly deposit is still based on the individual rate.

I’ve spoken with Independent Health, twice. Health Equity who my HSA is through. ABC-C. And at the instruction of ABC-C the FSA Administrator (who as I suspected had nothing to offer as this is an HSA).

Any thoughts on whose issue this is? Independent Health sees my enrollment code and knows I’m self plus family (because why the heck is that plan cheaper than self plus one??). ABC-C sees I’m on the family plan too. But no one seems to know whose job it is to update the monthly deposit/premium pass through.

Hi all! I am a recent graduate with a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering. I am very interested in getting into a fellowship with USACE for a while now and have applied to the Army Fellows Program - Mechanical Engineer on July 6. Since then, I have received two status update emails. Does anyone know the expected time in which I will get a response on whether I am accepted or rejected? I know they have to do a bunch of processes such as background checks which may be why they are taking a lot of time.

I have been trying to get promoted to GS13 forever. Topped out at 12 and the work keeps piling up but colleagues with one job get promoted. District had several chances to offer promotion to 13 with Division creating the space even- and still no go. Now threatened with MDR. At the same time a 13 job is miraculously created. Can’t do both. Might do none.
Anyone else having heartburn over this reorg?

I am curious as to what positions get posted for overseas jobs that your able to bring family with. I am a 0802 an seems I’m only ever seeing engineering degreed positions is that how it works or do they allow Techs to go?

So I have had other jobs before USACE and I never thought that was unique. But now that im here I realize that the majority of my coworkers came into the corps right out of college (im in environmental)

I have had fairly tsrse conversations that ultimately ended in "well thats what the corps does" and i honestly find it concerning and counterproductive.

Is this normal or just my office? I just constantly find myself wondering if I should be here.

TLDR: looking for literally any info on available APIs/portals/developer tools for USACE employees

Hi folks! I’ve recently started dipping my toes into automation and while I’ve worked with only powershell scripts and the GenAI API, I started exploring power automate yesterday and many of the tools I’m wanting to use require different APIs.
I’m wondering is there’s a website or point of contact for a list of available developer tools or API portals.
Just to vent: it’s been infuriating trying to get an answer to this on my own, especially when there’s 10 different internal and external sites that seem like they SHOULD have the answer, and then don’t.

I’m curious if anyone here works in the Okinawa region and has experience with the federal hiring process.
I’ve applied for several positions over the past 7–8 months, and I only recently received notifications that two of my applications were referred to the hiring manager about seven months after applying.
Is it normal for the process to take this long? If it took seven months just to be referred, should I expect another several months before hearing about interviews? Is there anything I can do to help move the process along, or is it simply a waiting game?
I’m PCSing (active duty military) to Okinawa in a few days as a dependent, and it’s tough leaving a job I genuinely love without having anything lined up yet.
And before anyone says it yes, I know this comes with military life. 😊 I’m just trying to understand whether this timeline is typical and if there’s anything else I should be doing while I wait.