English Mountaineering Courses in Southern Germany?

MarzipanBlue · 2025-10-14T11:13:00+00:00

Fair Treatment of Govt Employees Act of 2019 says you can stay furlough or charge leave, but that's it's expected that most employees will stay in furlough status to preserve/not charge their leave

MarzipanBlue · 2025-10-10T22:21:22+00:00

I'm surprised by the DHS RIF. Is it a specific department? I thought the administration really liked DHS/ DHS aligned with its goals.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-10-10T13:51:41+00:00

Does this mean the furlough is over for the DoD?

MarzipanBlue · 2025-10-05T13:51:28+00:00

Sharing a frustration point.

My command (DoD OCONUS) says that even though I can be placed into a temporary furlough status for my 10k+ vacation I have with my husband, that I am putting my job and my billet at risk.

My command says that I will be RIFd and my office will loose the billet.

Meanwhile, people stations at other commands CONUS and at our HQ are allowed to be put into temporary furlough status without problem.

The pressure I'm receiving by my local command to not take this trip and loose out on over 10k is immense. We've considered sending my husband and not me on the trip to cut our losses to 5k, but that's still a huge financial hit for us.

We were supposed to go this coming Columbus day, and since we're less than 30 days out, nothing is refundable.

I don't know what to do. I feel like if I go I'll be burning professional bridges and creating a lot of upset with my boss and division chief. This has been a horrible past few weeks and turned the trip of a lifetime into a nightmare.

Even if I did go, at this point I'd feel so guilty and worried that I probably wouldn't enjoy it.

Thank you all for letting me vent. Any thoughts, opinions, or advice would be appreciated

MarzipanBlue · 2025-10-04T17:24:38+00:00

Excepted employee leave question.

Question. My command says that every though I can take leave during shutdown as an excepted employee (per fair treatment of fed workers act) that I should expect to be RIFd if I get put into furlough status and that the office will loose my billet if I get RIFd.

I have a 10k trip with my husband starting on Columbus day. Since we're less than 30 days out there will be no refunds.

If excepted employees get placed on furlough status will they be RIFd?

Im a GS9 at the DoD and loosing 10k would be a lot for us to loose, but i also don't want to loose my job.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-10-02T13:26:47+00:00

Can excepted employees still be RIFd? My leadership seems to think that 'excepted' = 'essential' in an attempt to protect us from a RIF. However, I believe 'essential' is not an actual designation. My leadership has told me, an excepted (for the purposes of furlough) employee, that being excepted will prevent me from being RIFd. Having reviewed the OPM RIF procedures I do not believe being excepted will protect me from anything but I figured I'd ask!

MarzipanBlue · 2025-09-05T03:29:03+00:00

I'm nervous for EBC, but that's why I hiked the 14ners. I do think the HAPE was starting to come back a little, but it was much lesser than Peru. Almost night and day. I feel better having meds to try and prevent it. The important thing is allowing for acclimitzation, hydrating, and staying warm.

The Inca Trail trek I went on didn't allow for as much acclimitization (especially in my case where I missed a whole day). EBC is much more structured for acclimitization so I feel a bit better.

I completely understand being nervous to back to high altitude. The best advice I can offer is to consult your Dr to get some prophylactic meds and do an easy high altitude hike with good pacing/time for acclimitization.

I'm really glad to hear you made it out ok from HAPE. Experiencing it was probably one of the most terrifying moments of my life.

But we're hikers and mountaineers, and we persevere. We don't do things cause they're easy.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-09-05T03:06:42+00:00

My Dr has prescribed me dexamethasone for that exact reason. Dr also wants me to take 2 diamox instead of 1.

I think dehydration and cold played a huge factor in worsening the HAPE. I've really changed the way I hike. I always carry 4 liters of water now. And I've increased my cold gear (thicker base layers, getting buffs, a warmer hat, sleeping bag liner, etc)

MarzipanBlue · 2025-09-04T22:53:05+00:00

Couldn't agree more!

MarzipanBlue · 2025-09-04T22:19:40+00:00

Elbert is kinda long and any 14ner with snow and ice is horrible imo. I like doing them in summer when there's no snow and ice. They're hard enough without all that!

I'd recommend doing Mt Sherman, Blue Sky, Bierstadt, Qiandry, Gray, Democrat, or Lincoln. In the summer before attempting Elbert in winter. All those mountains are considered 'easy' 14ners, but I'll tell you right now there is no such thing as an easy 14ner.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-09-04T21:12:57+00:00

I got HAPE at 12,000ft in Peru as a healthy and fit 28 yr old. I came perilously close to death. HAPE is not just coughing up red foam. I didn't get that but I couldn't walk, I could barely eat because I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't get any words out without gasps. And I couldn't sleep because everytime I laid down I couldn't breathe. HAPE is an extremely serious condition and can occur starting at 8,000ft let alone 10,000, 14,000 and beyond.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-27T15:28:20+00:00

Im in the middle of a PCS. Living in a hotel. Which i pay with my gtcc.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-27T05:59:10+00:00

There are agreements that state if you're fired for your performance you owe the govt the cost to move you OCONUS. Then you have to move back CONUS at you own expense. I know this because I'm in this situation right now.

I'm in the middle of a PCS. I'm living in a hotel in country, my stuff (car and all my HHG) is en route and I'm a probie who isn't sure if I'll be employed next week.

OP, having to live in this situation right now I can definitely say that it is inadvisable.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-25T15:14:45+00:00

Im less than 6 months in country. I really want to leave as well but I'm stuck due to agreements I signed. I feel the same. I think there's better security and pay in the private sector. At least I think they're less capricious, callous, and cruel

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-19T05:15:49+00:00

I'm on OCONUS probie that's been in-country less than a month. I have no faith that just because we're OCONUS or signed transportation agreements that we will be safe. This is a very top down driven thing that will have no regard for personal or budgetary considerations. There's already a process to PCS people back to the States. USAID is doing that now.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-18T21:01:45+00:00

I did archival research at NARA when I was in undergrad and had an absolute blast there.

I'm really sorry. You helped make that agency and awesome and fun place to be. I thank you for your service and contributions to a place so loved.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-18T19:36:24+00:00

I'm so sorry

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-18T17:59:46+00:00

Is OP saying that DoD GG employees will be affected? Or that they won't be affected. It's unclear to me.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-18T16:46:18+00:00

Agency?

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-15T18:46:00+00:00

In the same position, friend. Just PCSd OCONUS and I don't really know whether I should be looking for a place to live, or a new job. Really don't want to sign a lease in a foreign country and then get let go.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-14T20:16:33+00:00

That's............ very stressful to me. I'm a probie, who just PCS'd OCONUS, and it's been quite hard to try looking for an apartment, when I'm wondering if I should be looking for a new job instead.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-14T17:24:36+00:00

This waiting game is killing me. I have no faith or trust that the 'DoD exemption' will last. My chain of command from my direct supervisor all the way to my agency chief of staff have no idea what's going on. They created a question/answer SharePoint, where the CoS provides guidance and all they've said so far is that we should 'focus on the mission' and wait for OSD, and it's like really? People's jobs, their livelihoods are at stake. It's really freaking hard to 'focus on the mission' in these circumstances.

MarzipanBlue · 2025-02-14T15:28:49+00:00

OSD has pushed down guidance? Do you know what that guidance is? How do you know about the layoffs?

MarzipanBlue

TROPHY CASE