FAM time-line

[intheaircop2]

Getting a new gun from the service in the next few months! I realy do not want to get the new gun but this seems that it will be the only way to get a new one. You current FAMs know what I am talking about.

[EndlessEcko]

Really, you like the new one?....I keep pinching my finger with that new gun."

[terry073]

Really, you like the new one?....I keep pinching my finger with that new gun."

you reckon they'll have gone to the "new gun" for academy by now? i don't see why not...

[Maverick24]

Personally I think Im going to stick with what I have. Too bad we cant get both for on duty use though...

[intheaircop2]

The new gun does pinch my pinky but they will not give me a new P229 so I will have to get the new smaller gun.

[intheaircop2]

I did a lot of looking around about this year and found out some real bad news. All 6c covered postions are all the same and FAMs fall under this.

1.7 percent every year upto 20 years.
1.0 percent every year after 20 years.

Example for 25 years total federal 6c covered postion:
34% for 20 years / 5% for the last 5 years with a grand total of = 39%.

So if I never get a raise and I am making $85,000 a year then I would get a wopping $33,165.21 a year for 25 years of service.

NOW THIS FU_KING SUCKS BIG TIME! Who the hell wants to work for 25 years and only get $35,000 a year for retirement?

I should of stayed with the police department then I would of gotten 70% of my salary for only 20 years and even more if I stayed on past 20 years. I wish I would of stayed on the street but it is to late.

[Joeyd6]

I did a lot of looking around about this year and found out some real bad news. All 6c covered postions are all the same and FAMs fall under this.

1.7 percent every year upto 20 years.
1.0 percent every year after 20 years.

Example for 25 years total federal 6c covered postion:
34% for 20 years / 5% for the last 5 years with a grand total of = 39%.

So if I never get a raise and I am making $85,000 a year then I would get a wopping $33,165.21 a year for 25 years of service.

NOW THIS FU_KING SUCKS BIG TIME! Who the hell wants to work for 25 years and only get $35,000 a year for retirement?

I should of stayed with the police department then I would of gotten 70% of my salary for only 20 years and even more if I stayed on past 20 years. I wish I would of stayed on the street but it is to late.

Another reason I left. It was 50% of the no chance for promotion and 50% for that reason. I must say though, life is grand now! Monday to Friday, leave my house at 5 am, get home at 6:30 pm (NYC Traffic kills it), but weekends and evenings off. Managenment treats me like an adult, takes constructive criticism and is actively working to get me into training I want. Add in the GS scale and steps and "performance awards" and nice!

Its not too late! There are plenty of gigs you can get into now! Keep your eyes open!

[EndlessEcko]

Another reason I left. It was 50% of the no chance for promotion and 50% for that reason. I must say though, life is grand now! Monday to Friday, leave my house at 5 am, get home at 6:30 pm (NYC Traffic kills it), but weekends and evenings off. Managenment treats me like an adult, takes constructive criticism and is actively working to get me into training I want. Add in the GS scale and steps and "performance awards" and nice!

Its not too late! There are plenty of gigs you can get into now! Keep your eyes open!

I would have to say the most frequently accessed web site in the office these days is USAJOBS! :D

[Maverick24]

The Job is what it is. In my opinion it is a great gig in the short term, but lets face facts: no one can do this for 20+ years, the agency knows this. Many also use it as an "in" for the FEDS and a stepping stone, this is also well known (and there is nothing wrong with that IMO). Anyone who is applying to the agency needs to know this in advance, it still cracks me up how many new guys/applicants seem to not understand that our job is to F L Y. The fact of the matter is I would NEVER have made anywhere near this salary at my former job or my PD down south, and I knew full well what I was signing on to do with no delusions or regrets. I also know that a lot of the 5 year guys were promised the world back in 02' and lied to again and again (which is a totally different story), so there is certainly some well deserved bitterness there! Just know the facts, like any job there are pros and cons and it is what you make of it (many of these pros and cons have been discussed at length in past thread), but it isnt all bad and no not everyone is miserable, in fact I know many who are quite happy to be where they are at.

[Joeyd6]

The Job is what it is. In my opinion it is a great gig in the short term, but lets face facts: no one can do this for 20+ years, the agency knows this. Many also use it as an "in" for the FEDS and a stepping stone, this is also well known (and there is nothing wrong with that IMO). Anyone who is applying to the agency needs to know this in advance, it still cracks me up how many new guys/applicants seem to not understand that our job is to F L Y. The fact of the matter is I would NEVER have made anywhere near this salary at my former job or my PD down south, and I knew full well what I was signing on to do with no delusions or regrets. I also know that a lot of the 5 year guys were promised the world back in 02' and lied to again and again (which is a totally different story), so there is certainly some well deserved bitterness there! Just know the facts, like any job there are pros and cons and it is what you make of it (many of these pros and cons have been discussed at length in past thread), but it isnt all bad and no not everyone is miserable, in fact I know many who are quite happy to be where they are at.

I agree, but they could change the outlook and view by:
1) Changing pay banding to GS scale...so at least you go up a few bucks with automatic step increases.
2) Go to 4--10 hour days.

[EndlessEcko]

I second the 4-10 hour days!!

I had SCHEDULED, just under 50 hours this past week and of course NOTHING was on time EVER! LoL But that's life. The job suits me for now though....no regrets!

[Maverick24]

Very good points Joey. Seemingly little improvements go a LONG way, the director has made progress in this area, but there is still plenty that can be done.

[terry073]

hey, i'm a glorious beacon of light! : )

ok did the PTA today. it sucked but i'm done. don't ask me for a score cuz i didn't ask and i didn't keep track. ignorance is bliss. i'm just glad it's done.

couple things:

the FAM running the show told us all after our PTA that the only thing that would stop us now is something in our background - credit maybe? also that if we don't get a bcq letter in the next 4 to 6 weeks, we should be good to go... just waiting for the call.

also: 2 classes left this fiscal year... august and september. august is full. september isn't. he said we may be pushed to fiscal year '08. there's no telling.

so the whole process took me 6 months.

good luck to you people still in the process. if you have any questions that i can answer, PM me. don't ask me what the interview questions are like though. it's pretty self explanatory. go lift, go run, lift some more and run some more.

- mike

[Maverick24]

Good Luck Terry. Hopefully those calls will come this summer!

[SSA1811]

Regarding the retirement issue, I am not sure if this will make intheaircop2 or any of you feel any better. intheaircop2's calculations are accurate, but that is what FERS is:

Example for 25 years total federal 6c covered postion:
34% for 20 years / 5% for the last 5 years with a grand total of = 39%.

However, a lot of the younger folks forget that your Federal retirement consists of two parts: FERS and TSP (Thrift Savings Plan).

You can do the math yourself, but I have heard investment advisors state that if you contribute the maximum into a Fund which averages 10% per year (something like the C or I Funds), at the end of twenty years you will have close to a million dollars in your retirement account.

Now $35,000/year from FERS plus the interest earned from the million in the TSP (at 7% - 10%) dosn't sound too bad does it? Plus you will still have the million in the TSP account!

Does this sound a little bit better?