The Buzz

Christmas Repast

Every Christmas season, we watch and read the obligatory news stories about how troops stationed far from home and loved ones are at least getting a turkey dinner and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving and an equally traditional Christmas repast.

But what about astronauts?

It's lonely up in the International Space Station, too, and a heck of a lot farther from home. But space jockeys get turkey if they want it, at least if they're eating off the U.S. menu at Thanksgiving.

Turns out that since the station crew consists of one Russian cosmonaut and one U.S. astronaut, half the meals come from each country's food list. Vickie Kloeris, NASA's manager of space flight food systems, says crew menus are prepared in 10-day cycles, but changes in launch schedules mean there's no way to set a specific menu for any particular holiday.

"They have a number of items of a holiday type," she says, "sliced smoked turkey, freeze-dried corn bread dressing." William McArthur, the astronaut now aboard the station, included turkey and dressing in his menu so he has it available once every 10 days during his six-month tour.

Each cosmonaut and astronaut samples and scores all the items on the U.S. and Russian food lists pre-launch to determine their personal menus. Steak is a favorite, says Kloeris.

There are cultural differences. When the Americans include "fresh food," it tends to be apples, oranges and the like. The Russians are apt to send raw onion and raw garlic. Desserts include cobblers, bread pudding and cookies, bite-sized to prevent crumbs. Freeze-dried ice cream long ago fell off the list-too crumbly. It flew only once on an Apollo mission.

Meanwhile, McArthur and cosmonaut Valery Tokarev can expect to receive gifts and goodies of the season when the Russian Progress unmanned vehicle delivers new food and supplies, along with "psychological support kits" from family members, just about the time Santa heads out.

Stickin' Around

Somebody likes government service. Ninety-seven percent of Federal Career Intern Program participants want to stay for at least the next year. And 81 percent of 2001 interns are still in. A September Merit Systems Protection Board report found that since it began in 2000, FCIP has become government's largest noncompetitive hiring program for lower-level positions. The two-year internship at grades GS-5 through GS-9 is open to all, including current federal employees.

* Resigned, removed or terminated during probation

Source: Merit Systems Protection Board

Rubber Paybands

In 2004, the Senior Executive Service switched from six levels of pay to a single fluid payband. The switch was meant to facilitate pay for performance and rid the system of automatic raises. But in some areas of the Defense Department, the levels are back.

The Air Force and Navy have layered a "tier" system on top of their SES payband. Three tiers are based on an employee's placement within the organization, the scope of duties, level of leadership and mission criticality.

Why the new tiers? In part, they offer opportunity for promotion that was lacking in the large payband, thus providing "a clear framework for career progression," according to Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke.

In the Air Force, they're also being used to pull rank, so to speak, with military counterparts. The tier system gives SES members visiting military installations "the same customs and courtesies afforded general officers in the equivalent grade," Krenke says.

Pentagon's New Personnel System

Here are key elements of the Defense Department's new civilian personnel management system. Final rules were published in October.

• Broad pay bands will replace the General Schedule and pay raises will be based on performance evaluations.
• An internally appointed National Security Labor Relations Board will streamline labor disputes; the Federal Labor Relations Authority will weigh in for review only.
• There will be no reduction of penalties for poor performance or behavior unless they are found "totally unwarranted in light of all pertinent circumstances" by the Merit Systems Protection Board.
• High-level officials can override collective bargaining agreements.
• Locality pay will be replaced over time by job-specific, market-sensitive local raises.

The Cons of Contracting

An expanding investigation into procurement fraud at the Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., has people wondering just how involved contractors should be in federal buying decisions.

William E. Burke, a private contractor working on acquisition decisions at SOCOM, which leads military operations against terrorist networks, pleaded guilty in October to bribery charges. He admitted to favoring certain contractors and recommending their products for purchase by SOCOM, in return for cash and unspecified future compensation. Burke, 50, of Odessa, Fla., was an employee of Alexandria, Va.-based Sentel Corp., which sells equipment and services to government agencies, when he worked for SOCOM on acquisition recommendations from 1999 to June 2005.

"There are internal and external checks in the system. Mr. Burke's job was to research and make recommendations on projects, but he did not have decision-making authority over USSOCOM acquisitions," says Ken McGraw, SOCOM spokesman.

Burke received only $9,000, but according to the plea agreement, he was promised unspecified "substantial compensation" in the future. Sentel denies all wrongdoing and says Burke's illegal activity resulted from work he was doing on his own. He faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.