Political appointees exempt from new performance evaluations
2026-04-30 | 6 mins.
The Trump administration's overhaul of federal employees' performance management won’t apply to political appointees. A memo from the Office of Personnel Management excludes all Schedule C and Schedule G appointees from the stricter performance metrics. OPM says political appointees are already at-will workers, so decisions on whether they should be kept or removed from their jobs do not depend on formal performance evaluations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Lawmakers look to expand incentives to retain Air Force pilots and Airmen
2026-04-29 | 5 mins.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking to expand both financial and non-monetary incentives to help the Air Force retain pilots and other in-demand Airmen. A new bill, dubbed the Retention Enhancements for Tactical Aircrew Initiative, or RETAIN Act, would require the Air Force to pay maximum aviation incentive pay, increase retention bonuses up to $100,000 and allow Airmen to transition indefinitely to non-combat aviation career paths. Meanwhile, the Fighter Aircrew Career Flexibility Act would allow service members to take a one-time break from active duty lasting four months to one year. The measure would also allow aviators to spend time in the civilian workforce and return to active duty afterward.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Army changes voluntary retirement policy
2026-04-28 | 6 mins.
The Army is changing when soldiers can request voluntary retirement. Under the new policy, soldiers can submit voluntary retirement requests at least 12 months, and no more than 24 months, before their preferred retirement date. Army officials say the change will allow the service to better predict personnel losses, synchronize personnel movement cycles and support soldiers transitioning out of the military. Soldiers who are being considered for a new assignment or have received official orders for a permanent change of station will not be able to submit a voluntary retirement request. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Space Force selections companies for Golden Dome initiative
2026-04-27 | 5 mins.
Twelve companies have been selected by the Space Force to develop a space-based interceptor system for President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative. Through its acquisition arm, Space Systems Command, the service awarded 20 Other Transaction Authority agreements with a potential combined award value of up to $3.2 billion. The service said the system should be integrated into the Golden Dome architecture by 2028. The announcement comes after Gen. Michael Guetlein, Golden Dome's program manager, said that space-based interceptors might not make it into the final design due to high costs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Lawmakers look to strengthen protections against fraud across government
2026-04-24 | 4 mins.
House lawmakers are looking to beef up protections against fraud risks across government. A new bipartisan bill would create a standardized training program for federal employees to learn how to identify and root out fraud. Sponsors say federal employees are not currently equipped with consistent training on fraud prevention. The lawmakers say that has led to higher vulnerabilities in government programs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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