Carrying up to 120 pounds on their distinctive, low-slung, black backpacks, the crew trek all their food, water and supplies they need over steep unbroken terrain for miles on end. They carry Pulaskis, Chainsaws, Hazel Hoes and McLeods. There are no trails to lead them.

All day and into the night, the crews fell towering pine trees, pile the undergrowth and cut a 10-foot-wide fire break. No clouds shade the continuous, back-breaking work. During the 2021 season, 58,733 individual wildfires burned over 7.1 million acres of land across the U.S. The wildfire season has increased by an average of 78 days per year since 1970.

As of Aug. 18, 59 large fires are reported burning through out U.S., with 2022 ranking above the ten-year average for number of fires and total acres burned.

The crews include workers known as “Hot Shots” because they dig trenches as firebreaks and toil closest to the flames. Others are called “Smokejumpers” or “Helitack.” All fight fires, but only now can they officially be called “firefighters.”

In late June, the Office of Personnel Management released a memo outlining an update to the classification of “federal wildland firefighters” as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November.

The new Wildland Fire Management occupational series creates a unique job description and progression structure separate from the Forestry Technician series which had collectively governed wildland firefighters along with several other unique jobs since 1972.

The update details the the duties, skills and risks for the different types of wildland firefighters, including specialties for engine operations, aviation, fire prevention, parachuting, helicopter operations, fuel management and planning. Entry level positions start at the GS-3 rate with advancement up to GS-11.

“The issuance of the new Wildland Firefighter occupational series is a critical step in addressing long-standing wildland firefighter talent management challenges across the government,” the memo said. “The series is a part of the long-term solution to ensure federal wildland firefighters are supported, equitably compensated, and have a better work-life balance.”

All federal agencies who employ wildland firefighters have 12 months since the issuance date of the memo to implement the change.

The federal wildfire service has been facing a retention problem in recent years. Fire seasons, which once only lasted about four months out of 12, are now are almost year-round. The extending time away from home and grueling work coupled with low pay has led many in the service to switch over to state fire agencies or leave the service all together.

Casey Judd, the president of the Federal Wildland Fire Service Association, said the retention issued was a matter of recognition.

“The vast majority of our membership told us that if they were just recognized for who they are and what they do, and not asking for any more money, then they would hesitate to leave even if there was a good offer from CalFire or some other local, state or government agency,” Judd said. “And I know that is hard for a lot of people to believe.”

Wildfire seasons were relatively short and not as intense when the Forestry Technician occupational series was created. During the fire offseason, the forestry techs would be reassigned to other land management duties. The broad classification prevented over specialization at a time when that was not needed, which is contrary to what the current circumstances require.

The reclassification is not the first attempt by the federal government in order to increase retention of their firefighters. Previously, money has been tried as an incentive.

“The Forest Service threw out money in retention bonuses back in ‘07 and ‘08,” Judd said. “We knew that was going to be short lived and people were going to spend the money and still jump ship. And that’s exactly what happened.”

Money is also part of the current effort at increasing retention. The infrastructure bill raised federal wildland firefighter pay by $20,000 or 50 percent, whichever is less. This comes after President Biden raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour for the firefighters in June 2021.

But it’s not about money.

The badges that the Forrest Service firefighters have worn just say ‘Forest Service,’” Judd said.

He recalled at time he ran into former federal wildland firefighter who had left to join CalFire, California’s state wildfire agency. When asked why he left the federal service, the man pointed to the badge on his uniform. It said “Firefighter.”

The Veterans Support Program is branded as a singular touch-point for all former active military or current reservists/guard employees to access their service related resources or a place to raise questions to.

About 20 percent of the State Department’s workforce is composed of veterans. That includes some 13,000 members of the Foreign Service and more than 11,000 Civil Service employees. The department also employs more than 45,000 local staff at more than 270 diplomatic missions worldwide.

“Our department is committed to supporting out veterans,” Margery Gehan, chief of the Work Life Division in the Bureau of Global Talent Management, said in an interview with Federal Times. “We value the experience that they bring to the department.”

The VSP is only the second of its kind in the federal government, according to Gehan. The fist was created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection.

To run the program, the State Department hired a manager to solely focus on the task.

“I envision our VSP manager to be somebody who can make recommendations for new policies and procedures, so that way we can improve the department’s overall support to veterans, active military and their family members,” Gehan said.

Megan Ilnicky started as the programs manager in April. Previously, she served in the Marine Corps, separating from the service in 2004 and worked for the Congress’s Chief Administration Office Wounded Warrior Program.

“Veterans, current active military, family members, and spouses have faced unique challenges throughout their careers, particularly when starting a second career or transitioning to a new government agency,” Ilnicky said. “They need assistance to help them manage this change, as well as guidance on how to navigate multiple government bureaucracies simultaneously.”

The program was created after a department initiative known as Talent Care and their veterans assistance working group conducted a survey of the veteran workface asking what is it they need. The answer was a single landing place for all their queries.

While all the necessary information to answer their questions was accessible before the VSP was created, it was disjointed. The veterans either had to scourer the State Department’s intranet or reach out to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The burden to find answers fell largely on the shoulders of the veteran.

“The biggest challenge I have observed has been helping veterans access their benefits and connect them with helpful resources,” Ilnicky said. “Often veterans are not sure where to turn for the information they need, and I help point them in the right direction.”

The program is broken down into three major areas of focus: guidance and support, advocacy and policy and partnership and collaberation. Information on Military Buy Back and Disabled Veteran Leave are just two examples of benefits with highly requested assistance, according to Ilnicky. And given the time constraints for both, if they are not handled properly, a veteran can loose their ability to use the entitlement.

The VSP is running a pilot program in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which has the largest percentage of veterans in its workforce. After the program is completed and best practices complied, it will be rolled out department-wide.

And in September, the program will be holding a department-wide listening session in partnership with colleagues from other parts of the department in order to better align the new resources they have available to them now that the program is created with the needs of the veteran workforce.

“The positive impact of the Veteran Support Program cannot be overstated,” Ilnicky said.

The newest Federal holiday was signed into law on June 17, 2021, by President Joe Biden to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. following the conclusion of the Civil War.

The day has been celebrated annually around the country since 1865 when a Union General arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the enslaved African Americans that the Confederacy had lost the war and that they were free as per the Emancipation Proclamation, which was inked in 1863. In many parts of the country, the proclamation was not implemented until the army enforced it.

Texas was the first state to codify the date into law in 1980 and was the only state to have the day as a paid holiday for state employees in 2020. Since then, at least eight states — New York, Maine, Louisiana, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington and Illinois — have followed, according to AP.

The next federal holiday is Independence Day on Monday, July 4th. The holiday commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the same day in 1776 marking the colonies unified intention to secede from the British Empire. Fighting in the Revolutionary War would continue until 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed in September and the United States was officially separate from the empire.

The figure, which represents the majority of the $13.9 million recovered through investigations of allegations initially reported to the DoD Hotline for fraud, waste and abuse, comes from the OIG’s semiannual report to Congress that highlight the audits and investigations conducted from October through March.

During that time, more than 8,000 allegations of wrongdoing were submitted to the hotline. That number includes complaints from civilian employees, private contractors and military personnel.

Of the allegations, the plurality fell under the category of personal misconduct or ethical violations. Personnel matters, procurement and contract administration, and retaliation all followed with relatively little margin between the three, according to the report released May 26.

For all the complaints, less than half had cases opened in response. The 3,485 cases which were opened in the latest collection period were referred to the appropriate investigative component. The report went on to say that more than 3,000 cases were closed during the same time frame, including those opened during previous reporting periods and rolled over.

Of the investigations that were closed, 10 resulted in substantiated claims of whistleblower reprisal. Two of the cases involved the same Air Force major who threatened to write weak performance evaluations for two different Air Force captains. Both captains engaged in protected communications with higher authorities relating to a threat the major made to whip one of the captain’s child with a belt, according to the report.

Corrective action against the major is pending in both cases, it said.

The holiday always falls on the last Monday of May and is a day of remembrance for those who died in the service of the United States. By tradition, citizens are encouraged to pause for a moment of silent reflection at 3 p.m. on the day.

Memorial Day became a recognized federal holiday in 1971 but can trace its history back to the 1860s and the American Civil War. A few years after the conclusion of the war, a flower laying ceremony, then known as Decoration Day, was held at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, at the behest of Union veterans.

Arlington National Cemetery still hosts ceremonies to honor the fallen every Memorial Day. During the preceding weekend, soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment lay American flags at more than 228,000 headstones. On the day, the president places a wreath on The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier.

The next federal holiday is also the newest addition to the list, only being added last year. Juneteenth National Independence Day is on Sunday, June 19. Most federal employees will have the following Monday off work.