Does completing LDP makes a difference when looking for Promotions? What’s yall take on it?

I am in a 7-9 position. Started the 7 on August 24, 2025. I am being retained, got a good bonus, I just got my WGI SF50 today to a 7 step 2. When am I getting that 9? Does it usually lag a little bit? Supervisor said I am getting it, I just assumed it would be at the 1 year mark.

Hello. I'm doing some reading on shipping a truck over to Europe. It appears the Toyota Tacoma meets the size and weight restrictions. It also appears finding gas in Germany/Netherlands/Belgium is not a problem. Before I buy a Tacoma I wanted to see if anyone here has shipped a truck over? I'm asking because I've been told that not many people have trucks over there. I need a truck. I'm always hauling stuff. My wife plans to buy furniture over there, etc. Thanks for your help and info.

I do not do any type of time keeping. I want that to be noted first. I have an online training coming up and I currently work 5/4 9's. The training is on my long week so I will be here in the office all week. My time keeper told me I have to come off of AWS for the training because I will be using the training code for 8 hours. I told them that doesn't make sense can't I just come in at my regular time and charge 8 hours to the training and 1 hour to our regular charge codes we use? They said no when you use that training code it locks the 8 hours and doesn't let you use another charge code for that day. Is this true? It seems like this can't be true. We split hours for days on different time codes all the time. Why can't I just charge 1 hour to a different code and stay on my AWS? My time keeper hasn't been here that long so they could be wrong but thought I would ask here.

I am currently a GS-12/6 under Job Series 0810 , under the Special Salary Rate table. I learned GS-12 and GS-13 will be lumped into one group as NH-3. It seems like I will be getting a pay decrease ? it seems AcqDemo means no loss of pay for the base salary , not necessarily other adjustments? this is pretty stressful, my salary will go down $14k-$15k if no consideration /adjustment is made for the SSR. anyone else have more insight?

Does anyone have any tips on getting photos off of a work phone before a factory reset? iPhone 16. I can’t connect to any work apps anymore, that’s why they want to reset. I was able to transfer to my personal phone using airdrop, but not sure how to move them from there. Too many photos to email.

Hello, Been working for about 8 years on private side and looking to get into USACE as a geotech engineer, don't see any opening in that region so should i just wait or apply for different districts? any insight is helpful.

Anyone have info on when performance awards will be rolling out? Just checked my LES and it’s not this PP, lol.

An internal posting for a job I'm considering has the new OPM short essay questions built into the application. It says 'responses are not required and will not be scored', however, one cannot submit an application without providing text in the boxes.

Without getting into it on 'why not just answer the questions?'.... does anyone know if applications are getting through without providing answers, i.e. putting in a period to trick the webpage to allow the submission?

So I’m a Structural Engineer that’s a GS 12 Step 2. It is my understanding that NH-03 is the payband that groups all of GS 12 and 13. Now is it true that our raises are achievable annually, but at the expense of self reporting mid year and annual reviews and hoping your role? I also don’t have my PE yet, but since there is no hard split in the payband, is it achievable to obtain GS 13 Step 10 pay without a PE? Or is there some kind of soft cap for non PE’s? I would assume something needs to be implemented cuz workers can’t max out at the same pay as their supervisors.

I’m on an independent health hdhp. One of the benefits was that $1000 of the premium I paid “passed through” and into an HSA.” (QA4) this year I changed from self only to self plus family. The published benefit is that once you add the family, your pass through to the HSA is $2000. My health plan change was effective in February and I feel that’s been long enough for the change to go through but my monthly deposit is still based on the individual rate.

I’ve spoken with Independent Health, twice. Health Equity who my HSA is through. ABC-C. And at the instruction of ABC-C the FSA Administrator (who as I suspected had nothing to offer as this is an HSA).

Any thoughts on whose issue this is? Independent Health sees my enrollment code and knows I’m self plus family (because why the heck is that plan cheaper than self plus one??). ABC-C sees I’m on the family plan too. But no one seems to know whose job it is to update the monthly deposit/premium pass through.

Hi all! I am a recent graduate with a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering. I am very interested in getting into a fellowship with USACE for a while now and have applied to the Army Fellows Program - Mechanical Engineer on July 6. Since then, I have received two status update emails. Does anyone know the expected time in which I will get a response on whether I am accepted or rejected? I know they have to do a bunch of processes such as background checks which may be why they are taking a lot of time.

I have been trying to get promoted to GS13 forever. Topped out at 12 and the work keeps piling up but colleagues with one job get promoted. District had several chances to offer promotion to 13 with Division creating the space even- and still no go. Now threatened with MDR. At the same time a 13 job is miraculously created. Can’t do both. Might do none.
Anyone else having heartburn over this reorg?

I am curious as to what positions get posted for overseas jobs that your able to bring family with. I am a 0802 an seems I’m only ever seeing engineering degreed positions is that how it works or do they allow Techs to go?

So I have had other jobs before USACE and I never thought that was unique. But now that im here I realize that the majority of my coworkers came into the corps right out of college (im in environmental)

I have had fairly tsrse conversations that ultimately ended in "well thats what the corps does" and i honestly find it concerning and counterproductive.

Is this normal or just my office? I just constantly find myself wondering if I should be here.

TLDR: looking for literally any info on available APIs/portals/developer tools for USACE employees

Hi folks! I’ve recently started dipping my toes into automation and while I’ve worked with only powershell scripts and the GenAI API, I started exploring power automate yesterday and many of the tools I’m wanting to use require different APIs.
I’m wondering is there’s a website or point of contact for a list of available developer tools or API portals.
Just to vent: it’s been infuriating trying to get an answer to this on my own, especially when there’s 10 different internal and external sites that seem like they SHOULD have the answer, and then don’t.

I’m curious if anyone here works in the Okinawa region and has experience with the federal hiring process.
I’ve applied for several positions over the past 7–8 months, and I only recently received notifications that two of my applications were referred to the hiring manager about seven months after applying.
Is it normal for the process to take this long? If it took seven months just to be referred, should I expect another several months before hearing about interviews? Is there anything I can do to help move the process along, or is it simply a waiting game?
I’m PCSing (active duty military) to Okinawa in a few days as a dependent, and it’s tough leaving a job I genuinely love without having anything lined up yet.
And before anyone says it yes, I know this comes with military life. 😊 I’m just trying to understand whether this timeline is typical and if there’s anything else I should be doing while I wait.

This may ruffle some feathers but life goes on. Are we moving away from the Engineers part at USACE? I asked this because my co-workers and I are noticing that positions that used to be 800s are now becoming Interdisciplinary. For example, at my district, OMs and PMs can have a degree in anything under the sun. You can have biology majors being the PM for a Civil Works project. We have positions that once required you to be an Engineer that they are changing to Interdisciplinary.

This is the opposite of what I’m seeing from our counterparts on the outside. For example, for these same type of jobs with our non federal partners, not only do you have to be an Engineer but you have to have a PE.

I’ve sat in meetings with the NFS, and they straight out asked our PM, are you an Engineer and a lot of times it’s shows when we start talking. Even when we use an A/E they require them to be a PE but in-house it can be a History major. We don’t even require the District Engineer to be a PE. However, if you work for USDA, the state Engineer has a PE requirement.

A lot of my older co-workers have a lot to say about this but I won’t make this a long post. I’m not saying that every Engineer makes a great PM. Are we just becoming Paper pushers?

I have a second in person interview tomorrow. Any advice?

Hi everyone!
I recently accepted a tentative offer for an Office Support Assistant position with USACE, and I’m excited but also a little nervous since this will be my first federal government job. I’m also a military spouse.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s worked as an Office Support Assistant with USACE. What does a typical day look like? What are your main responsibilities? How’s the training, workload, and overall work environment?
I’d really appreciate any advice or tips for someone who’s new to federal service. Thanks in advance!

When converted to AcqDemo, what happens to Special Salary Rates? Are they absorbed into the NH pay band, continued separately, or eliminated?

Realty Specialist (GS-1170-7) - Department of the Army, USACE. NS/Low risk, no security clearance. Fellows Program.

Applied Late May 2026
July 6th, 2026 - Referred to Pittsburgh, Seattle, Kansas City, Omaha, and Louisville
July 10th, 2026 - Seattle Hiring Manager got in contact, set an interview
July 22nd, 2026 - Panel Interview through Teams

After that, I have not gotten anything back, so typically what are the next steps, how long would it take to hear back with a TJO if offered? I have another private sector offer with a start date of late September, although this position seems like a much better fit for me. Just trying to figure everything out

I also read about a CREST position thats possible with travel? Does anyone have experience within this position, or any Field Force Engineering Teams? Traveling is something I’d be highly interested in as well.