Paid to Do Nothing: Almost True Story of the Civilian Government Employee, II

Here we go again. Same old story, different day. I guess it is due to the fact that I've gathered all this information and have no where to put it. For instance, I moved to the Great Northwest seeking guidance and a new spiritual meaning, now that I am an empty nester for the very first time. I thought moving out of California would be the fresh start that I needed. What I found was the same inflammatory agent I had just left.

Not all was inflammatory, just the few that I had encountered in my youth. So, I am in Washington State seeking spiritual enlightenment when I decided to go back to work for the federal government. I am still a dispatcher for a military agency. I still won't tell you where, but I will tell you it IS a different organization. Be that as it may, the individuals are very much the same. I guess it is human nature to find fault in those that you do not understand. I cannot complain, I'm human too. And my complaint is valid, if not true.

I started working here in this beautiful state wondering if I had made the right choice. After all, I've been in the military for a long time and travel is no burden to me. I love it. So is my jaw tight, I'll tell you. The same with civilian government employees who say that the government "owes" them for their faithful service. Yes, I am all for that. But for more employees that haven't served a single day in the military to moan about it, it is disheartening. I've encountered several employees with this issue and for the life of me, I do not understand why.

Instead of listing all of them by name, and I would be the only one to get a kick out of it, I've decided to classify them accordingly. First, there are the ones that have spent their entire lives in the military and made no rank above what they could've been. You know the ones, they claim they walked on water when in fact their heads were barely above water. I mean they probably lived full lives in the military but have nothing to show for it once it was all over. Now, they regale about the glory days of old when they thought they were in charge of their whole "squadron". I guess they have something to say that's important, or they just want to hear themselves talk. Nevertheless, having to listen to them whine about how they were cheated and the end of their military days can get a bit daunting. Second, there are the ones that only spent a minimal amount of time in the military, but put on that they've spent a lifetime in the military. These are the ones that were given high profile jobs based on their "merit" and military service, but the reality of it is that they're merit lacked substance. The fact that they worked at a lower grade level up until the day you got there and spent several hours of the day on their knees had nothing to do with it at all. If asked questions, the ones that they should be able to answer due to their infinite knowledge about everything, they look at you like a deer caught in the headlights. Third, there are the ones that build up their resumes to get this job but have NO experience what so ever in this field. They talk a good game but deep down they don't know a thing. I asked them questions about the system or policies and I get no response. Once again, the deer and the headlight. Fourth, there are the ones that have no knowledge of this business at all. You know the ones, they cannot multi-task to save their lives or the lives of others, but for some reason, they have a job where that is required. I will not elaborate on it due to the fact that I have only so much room to write and only so much time to write it.

I can only imagine these individuals working in a real Communications Center. The one where the phones are ringing off the hook, women screaming in your ear as they believe their children are dying, a domestic assault in progress and shots fired in the background. Not to mention alarms going off continuously and no officers to respond because they are all out to lunch; some without telling dispatch. The most obvious problem is that there is no supervision of the supervisors when it comes to choosing an employee. There is a list of names that he or she has to choose from. And after an interview of the most asinine questions known to man, the interviewer looks you over and then you get hired. Of course, the better you look, the better the job opportunity. As for having no certification, training, or experience in all the areas that are required but holding a position that is higher than those that have all these things is just wrong. In a word, it is wrong. In the real world, merit (and the certs to back it up) mean something. Working for the Federal Government, it means absolutely nothing. I have been going over the rules, over and over again, and still cannot find what guidelines were used to hire these individuals and place them in a position of authority. None of these dispatchers in "leadership" positions have been to college, possess certifications in dispatching (no matter what genre), or worked with all the "pieces" that encompasses what we do. None of these dispatchers have worked with the equipment AND these same individuals do not want any input on how the equipment work from "experienced" dispatchers. None of these dispatchers are in a word, dispatchers. Of course, the federal government don't care, as long as the billets get filled.

In closing, my hat goes off and in a deep bow, will I salute those dispatchers, and you know who you are, that know how the game is played; those dispatchers that know both sides of the "houses" and can do both; those dispatchers that go above and beyond to make the house work right, straight, and true; those dispatchers that did not sleep their way to the top nor did they pad their resume; for those dispatchers that can multi-task, (i.e., answer the phones, monitor alarms, dispatch units, type, and print all at the same time!); for those dispatchers that like to further their education instead of sit on their laurels and wait until retirement or a paycheck. And for those dispatchers that are in positions that they did not earn, but they think they did, have a seat and watch a REAL dispatcher at work. You might learn something.

Since being human is what we all are, the complaints are valid. Now we just have to find someone, anyone, with half a brain to stop, look, and listen. Screening for this type of job should be easy and apparent. However, due to the influx of civilian government employees that have no affiliation and are still requiring a "bonus" for just being, the rest of us mere mortals must suffer the consequences; working with those who know less and are getting paid more.