The Defense Department plans to induct some 60,000 civilian personnel in the next round of switchovers to the new National Security Personnel System, starting in October. The latest effort, called Spiral 1.2, follows Spiral 1.1, comprising 11,000 employees, which, officials say, achieved a 99.9 percent technical accuracy rate—that is all personnel and pay actions went smoothly. DOD expects all 60,000 personnel—all non-union employees—to be shifted to NSPS by the end of January 2007. The Pentagon still is embroiled in a legal dispute with union officials.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
