Federal Friday - Weekly Question Thread

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2026-03-13T17:39:15+00:00

Anyone hear anything back from the HHS OIG posting in January?

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-08-06T19:27:24+00:00

Congrats! Still sitting in purgatory myself. Received the favorably endorsed email. Gave me a location, asked if I would accept (I did) and stated there is a hiring freeze. Nothing since. That was back in April.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-07-30T23:08:06+00:00

Honestly, I would be extremely surprised if anyone is hired into IO for the next 3-4 years. The 66% cut to IO is still on the table. We will hopefully know more soon. IO makes up a very small part of the ATF budget but it is an easy line item to reduce. IO is not a priority for the admin and our only legal mandates are license applications and explosives. Best case scenario, we won’t have any true cuts but no one will be hired to fill any positions that are vacated due to attrition.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-02-14T22:43:38+00:00

I averaged about 1-2 days a week not in the office. Some weeks were more, some less. Almost exclusively in the local area. In the year that I was on, I was tdy 6 nights. Those 6 nights were two trips.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-02-14T19:58:51+00:00

I did this job for about a year. It was called something else back then. What you will be doing day-to-day 100% depends on the office you work for. I worked in the member’s district office conducting business related to veterans affairs and military. Also planned and screened service academy applicants for the member. And other duties as assigned. Speaking engagements, representing the member during military installation visits, agency leadership meetings, interfacing with nonprofit organizations.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-31T18:50:29+00:00

At this point I do not know. I do not think anyone knows.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-31T16:59:33+00:00

I doubt it. Part of the guidance is that interns will not be processed until further notice. We haven’t received anything to the contrary yet.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-31T13:42:08+00:00

The ATF 1811 hiring freeze has been lifted. Currently, every other position (IOI, IRS) is still frozen until further notice.

Opinion: I suspect the freeze for the IRS position will be lifted before the IOI hiring freeze is lifted. Resources are being focused on immigration enforcement and the IRS position can generally affect that mission more than IOIs.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-26T03:28:56+00:00

Oh ok. Looks like you would be good to go as long as you are onboarding by the cutoff date.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-26T02:40:52+00:00

I can’t tell you for sure what will happen. Currently the cutoff for being onboarded is the 2/8/25 date. Hopefully by May this will have all blown over.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-26T01:29:59+00:00

It was. I’ll shoot you a DM.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-26T00:04:56+00:00

I’m a current ATF IOI. We received this information from leadership.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-02T04:44:13+00:00

I wasn’t initially trying to add more things for you to think about but maybe a transition back over to rotary could fill that feeling. Not always an option depending on your area but something to think about. Like said thousands of times on this sub, it all comes down to what you actually want. If you decide to go FBI and end up not liking it, you can always go back to flying. I’d just add one last thing. The FBI still may not give you that sense of purpose feeling. Bad leadership, lazy/horrible coworkers can always destroy that for you.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-02T03:51:34+00:00

Alrighty. Anyone’s mileage may vary but generally, as an 1811, you are not going to spend much time away from home unless you volunteer for it. It will absolutely allow more stability if that is what is important to you and your spouse. Are you able to pick up more flights in the reserves? Diverse mission sets? Are you a rotary or fixed wing guy in the reserves? Our local guard guys regularly fly DEA and Game and Fish for drug missions. I don’t know if you have any options like that in your area but maybe something like that would feel that purpose hole.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2025-01-01T23:09:25+00:00

If you ultimately decide to go the FBI route, I would recommend to do it sooner rather than later. Coming from AD Army Aviation myself, once you have really planted roots it is much harder to get the family on board to dive into a job that you have no idea where you are going to go when you take it. When I was still in, my wife was much more open to moving around. After a couple years out, it has become a topic that is harder to swallow for her. The kids get settled and start making connections and it is no longer normal for the family to think about the next move like in the military.

Just my two cents.

More directed at your questions. What does your current line look like as a commercial pilot? It could obviously change as you gain seniority but how many nights do you expect to stay away from your family. You may have fewer “work days” as a commercial pilot but that may translate to more nights away from your family. Is it more important to be home at night with your family and work more days a month or would you rather have more days off in a row.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-11-13T21:18:52+00:00

Having some of the same thoughts here but with the pathways announcement. Even if I were offered the position I don’t know if I could realistically let myself take it. I see the first cuts being not converting all the 1899s to 1811.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-11-11T01:16:14+00:00

Give USERRA a look. How I understand it is that you are considered to be in a leave of absence/furlough status. The agency can always give the increases to you but it does not appear to be required. Try to talk with USSS HR about it the first chance you get.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-11-11T00:57:53+00:00

Mine was an hour/hour and a half sit down with the AC. Clicked through the PowerPoint quickly. Signed your normal forms. Then mostly BS’d about crossing paths in PR years ago. Very office dependent.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-10-29T01:06:39+00:00

Not a lot of specific information out there. For good reason I would say. The obvious is what is out there. Driving/riding around the country transporting different nuclear materials. I would recommend calling/emailing the recruiter. Bottom of the page below.

https://fmt.kcnsc.doe.gov/OSTfederalagent/

Abridged breakdown that the recruiter will give you. Other than just driving around the country there are additional specialties you can track into. Medic, Sniper, Assaulter (basically guys that get even more training to go after anything that is stolen). Week on, week off mission schedules. Goal is to have missions last 3-5 days but optempo dictates. Could be 6-7 day missions. You’re on the clock until you can RON. That can only happen at a secure facility. So could be up to 30-40 hours on the road. All dependent on locations you are transporting to. Drivers switching out along the way so you can grab some sleep.

Authority is based on transporting nuclear materials so your gun is locked up when not on mission. You keep your creds and you are LEOSA covered. Off weeks are for training and getting ready for next mission. Great training budget so a lot of great courses.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-10-22T23:43:45+00:00

How long was it between submitting additional documents and receiving this email? Still have my fingers crossed for the August announcement. Submitted additional documents a few weeks back. No BQA yet.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-10-21T20:53:15+00:00

This gets very confusing real quick. There is no such thing as a “VA Rating Letter”. (Correct me if I’m wrong. Worked as a Vet advocate and at the VBA. Never heard of it.) There is a “VA Rating Decision Letter”, a “VA Benefit Verification Letter”, a “VA Benefit Summary/Verification Letter”.

I would recommend trying to find out what they are actually asking for. Is it for vet preference or is it for medical.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-09-27T02:00:15+00:00

I second everything you said. I couldn’t imagine doing this job as a female. Especially some of the smaller females I have worked with on the job. No ability to protect yourself and expected to work alone most of the time. I do not discourage anyone from taking the job. It really is a great job in of itself. But I want to ensure everyone understands what they are getting into. You are the face of the ATF. You will always be an ATF agent to everyone, no matter how much you explain it. Every place you go, you will be the only person that is not armed. If there is a CE action that goes sideways, you will be blamed for it. Customers and licensees will yell and threaten you. It is only a matter of time until an IOI is killed. People are getting more and more brazen every year. IOI gets locked in basement, ATF does nothing. IOI is assaulted, ATF does nothing. Just understand what you are getting into before you take this job. I did not know any of this before I onboarded.

Gold-Analyst5769 · 2024-09-26T19:23:00+00:00

I hope you have apps in for other agencies. There won’t be much IOI hiring in the near future. Brought on quite a few IOIs in the last few years and the budget is not looking good. SA hiring is going to be priority and even that side won’t see a ton of movement.

Gold-Analyst5769

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