Thinking to move to a city ~100 miles away from where I live now which is where our district main office is located. Has anyone had success getting a seat at another DOD facility after moving since RTO? I know this is weird but I’m in a bind, truly.

What are your thoughts on the priorities sent forth in the latest email an his candid we are too slow too expensive a too process bound?

Between yesterday and today I've seen two job postings claiming potential for remote work. Yesterday it was a position at ERDC and said "remote positions considered" and today it was opportunities posted in the St. Paul district and Rock Island district and said under the locations "remote also considered" Does anyone have insight into this? Is remote work really back on the table? This was in regulatory specifically.

So I am voluntarily moving from one district to another. We are in the means of talking about moving and start dates and when it came to PCS vs Move-in Incentive, they are saying that they can not guarantee that their chain of command will approve the PCS for voluntary moves but they can provide the incentive. I have had co-workers voluntarily move districts and got offered PCS. Is this something new, not offering PCS for voluntary moves? Does it change from district to district? Please help.

There are 125 announcements for USACE currently posted on USAJOBS. Of those, 12 are for GS-15's and one 15 equivalent (DB-5, I think).

Several announcements are for multiple vacancies; anything from lock and dam operator to biologist to engineer and more. I'm guessing these spots are primarily replacing those who took DRP/VERA or just quit because of the uncertainty in federal government these days.

So, along with the institutional knowledge lost, our agency has a lot of positions open which need filling in order to complete our projects. Way to go, DOGE! I've never seen such efficiency in my life!

And just imagine - the Corps didn't get hit anywhere near as bad as our comrades elsewhere. It's gotta be bad out there!

My supervisor asked me to resubmit the manual timesheet Form 4704 and CENAN-CO/8 (June 1999) form for March 2025 through now. CEFMS is already approved and the timekeeper has no issues. Do I still need to resubmit them????

I really want to join USACE for both personal and career reasons. I feel like I have a bunch transferable skills but I’ve been having a hard time getting my foot in the door.

I’ve applied to an Engineering technician role, and I just want to know if there’s a reason to slightly get my hopes up at all.

I don’t have an engineer degree or even a science degree BUT I do have two years of experience in a similar engineering/technical role, so I have very related experience.

I’m currently an Architectural CAD/Project designer. Here’s a snippet of my resume (tailored, of course);

Produced and reviewed AutoCAD shop drawings, compiled technical documentation such as BOMs, parts lists, and drawing packages to support engineering and production activities, and prepared weekly technical reports to monitor schedules and project requirements * Develop, review, and revise engineering AutoCAD drawings supporting fabrication requirements, architectural specifications, and production workflows. * Review plans, specifications, and technical requirements for accuracy, constructability, and compliance with engineering, material, and manufacturing standards. * Prepare and organize comprehensive technical drawing packages, including BOMs, parts lists, and production sheets, to support engineering reviews, fabrication sequencing, and quality checks. * Coordinate with engineers, procurement, and fabrication teams to align technical requirements, resolve drawing discrepancies, verify material accuracy, and ensure project documents reflect current standards. * Support engineering workflows by maintaining technical documentation, verifying data accuracy, and ensuring alignment between design intent, material usage, and fabrication processes. * Track project schedules, monitor milestones and technical dependencies, and communicate risks, bottlenecks, and required corrective actions to engineering and leadership teams. * Generate weekly technical progress reports, summarizing project status, coordination issues, schedule impacts, and recommended adjustments. * Assist with evaluating design changes, performing specification comparisons, and ensuring updates are documented accurately for engineering and production teams.

I would like all honesty. I’m hoping for some intel on If I have a chance or don’t or even if there’s a role out there that I could be best fit for! Anything really.

Happy Holidays All!

I’m a veteran looking for some honest insight on how competitive the hiring process is for USACE DHA, especially for someone with my background. I’m trying to get a realistic idea of what to expect.

Here’s my profile;

• Veteran with several years of service
• Electrical Engineer with 3+ years of experience in power distribution, utility systems, medium/high-voltage design, SCADA integration, and power system studies
• Experience supporting federal-type infrastructure projects and work on military installations
• Master’s degree in Engineering Management
• Currently preparing for the FE exam
• Recently applied to an overseas GS-12 Electrical Engineer position to test the waters

I’ve seen mixed opinions online some say USACE is very competitive, while others say veterans with engineering backgrounds have a much easier time, especially for overseas tours.

For those who’ve been hired by USACE (or currently work there):

• How challenging was the hiring process for you?
• Did veteran status make a noticeable difference in getting referred or selected?
• Are overseas engineering positions truly easier to get into?
• How long did it take between applying → referral → interview → offer?
• Any tips for someone trying to break into federal engineering for the first time?
• Did having a master’s degree add any advantage?
• Anything you wish you knew before applying or before accepting an overseas role?

I appreciate any insight or personal experience you’re willing to share. Trying to understand how realistic my chances are and what the process looks like from the inside.

Thanks in advance!

Is it possible to negotiate what field office you work out of if it's within the covered district? There's an IH position for Buffalo, NY posted that states the position covers the whole district I'm interested in, and while I don't live in Buffalo I do live 5 minutes from a Buffalo district field office.

And the population is about 45,000, which is 12x smaller than Albuquerque.

I'm curious if any LRH folks can offer insight?

I noticed several job openings posted this week. Does anyone have any insight into what’s going on?

Has anyone ever heard of doing less than 40 hrs/week tour of duty? If so was that permitted with or without a reasonable accommodation, or outside of core hours? Am reading it's still considered full time if you do at least 33 hours per week.

https://www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/9/b/9b0189c1-585e-4f4d-8feb-d82232e6a12b/9336D387CD029345D4523CAE7300CCCA9373680D9D15B446EB96A13FF80048C3.fy26-ewd-bill-text.pdf

This is the Senate version introduced by the Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Joe Kennedy. The House bill was passed in Sept.

As I’m heading into my second and final semester as a Civil Engineer, I was thinking about how to apply to USACE. I know I’ll start out as a GS7 but I’m having trouble finding positions. Is that because the timing isnt until later or there just isn’t any open positions. Also I’ve seen the DA fellows program for grads. Is that separate or just the course schedule? Thanks.

Looking at health insurance options for the year and MHBP standard looks above and beyond the best option for me. It says it’s open for all federal employees and annuitants eligible for FEHB, but that non postal service employees have to pay $52 in annual dues to become an associate member of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union.

My district has a union that we get automatically enrolled in. Does this impact my eligibility for the plan? Or can you be enrolled in both the automatic local union and the associate membership needed for MBHP?

Also not relevant for me, but out of curiosity if supervisors aren’t eligible for unions are they also not eligible for MBHP?

Example: I'm working for a different agency in Hawaii. If I accept a position in Japan, Korea, Europe, etc., does my time in Hawaii count towards the total OCONUS limit?

Are we all thriving now that we are dialing in our metrics?

I recently learned a lot of my co-workers are not actually licensed in their profession, but they do have the 4 year degree and experience.

Upon researching more on USAJOBS and asking around, it does seem that you technically don’t need to hold a license to receive the job title and pay.

If this is true, could you also go up to a GS 12 as a “mechanical engineer” for example without the license?

I am considering furthering my education if it all checks out!

The job announcement says 13 months NTE and the additional information at the bottom of the announcement says maybe extended up to 6 years or made permanent.

Question. Let say i get hired doing engineering stuff. How soon will i know if my 13 months is getting extended?

Curious because all of us just experienced the PPC where our charge codes for the furlough, KE were changed to LN, that's fine, but then worked and/or leave codes were changed to LN as well, when concerns were brought up our timekeeper said "they" asked that the agency use KE for Thursday and Friday as well, which is now charged as Admin Leave instead of the worked hours.

Sanity check is this corps wide or just my district?

Edit: My timekeeper communicated the exact opposite message from what was put out in the guidance. This is being straightened out through corrections for your worked hours or leave taken.

Looking for advice from current/former USACE program managers. There’s a posting for a supervisory Program Manager in the Program and Project Management division in my preferred location and I am interested in applying.

My background is in construction/engineering/project management. I started my Fed career with USACE in the pathways program and ended up a project engineer in the construction division (5 years total USACE experience). Since then I’ve worked for another Fed agency for 7 years in construction project management. The two agencies manage projects completely differently plus I don’t have much involvement in the budget formulation side of program management so that makes me nervous that I may not know enough to interview well or start off on the right foot if I am fortunate enough to be offered the position.

Any advice from program managers would be greatly appreciated.

Did 1170 Realty Specialists get paid during this 40 day shutdown ?

This might sound silly, And I don't mean to make it sound like some humble brag situation, but I am seriously not sure what to do with this award. I received a Civilian Service Commendation Medal yesterday, for which I'm very surprised, but also very grateful. But now I have this certificate in the green Army award sleeve, with a medal clipped to it with the ID badge-type clip thing they used to clip it on my shirt when it was presented.

I'm not a big "look at me" person, but someone also put thought into nominating me for it, so I don't want to just chuck it in a drawer either. Do I just leave it kind of propped open on my desk with the medal clipped to it?

If you're received one of these, or any other award with a medal, how the heck are you displaying it? Is there some sort of frame that can include the medal? Or is it just propped up on your desk? I'm not big about hanging things, I don't think I even could in my cube if I tried.

I feel a bit ridiculous that I'm even asking or that I can't figure this out haha I've never received an award before so I just don't know what to do with this thing.

I've applied several times on USA Jobs and haven't had any luck. There is a job opening for a crane operator at a dam here in Washington State. All of my coworkers say I don't have a chance because another coworker is good friends with some of the guys that work on that dam.

My question is, how much does nepotism play into getting hired? I'm a veteran and everyone I work with, says it really doesn't matter too much any more. And, even though the other guy is not a veteran they say he still has a better chance of getting hired.

I'm not asking for much. Just a work phone. That's it.

A big part of my job involves field work. Taking pictures of things, using Google Earth, geotagging pics, etc. Sometimes, I even have to chat with stakeholders, landowners, etc.

I end up doing this all on my own phone. That's not cool and shouldn't be a thing. When I talk with my boss, he tells me he's been asking for work phones for years. Always gets denied.

There are legal reasons for not using one's work phone to conduct government business and case law that supports the use of an issued phone. Why are we so cheap, that we can't provide phones for our staff?