Abstracted for the WSJ - "After four years of providing care to military personnel, their families and retirees, I've had it.

The hassles of working with the Tricare program that covers health care for these people got the better of me. I've taken care of about 80 Tricare patients. But I won't be seeing them anymore.

I was one of a few physicians in the area to participate in Tricare. Patients sometimes came as far as 50 miles, bypassing several large hospitals and hundreds of other doctors who weren't in the network, to be seen in my small-town clinic.

One woman needed a colorectal surgeon because she had a fistula, an abnormal connection between her bowels and uterus. The specialized surgeons in our region weren't in the network, and the closest Tricare doctors...

Lurita A. Doan served as Administrator of the General Services Administration for the past 22-months and survived pressure from Capitol Hill, investigations into potential Hatch Act violations, and allegations of interference in GSA contract negotiations. But according to multiple sources , a personal feud over whistleblower complaints with her agency's Inspector General (IG), Brian Miller, led to her ultimate demise.

Doan's early months at GSA were plagued by scandals. Over a year ago she was questioned by members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about reported efforts to award a sole-source contract to a personal friend as well as accusations that she was using her office for political purposes. Shortly after that the Office of Special Counsel ruled that she...

A new poll released today revealed that 70% of those 18-29 years old and 53% of those over 30 years old considered a job in public service very or fairly appealing. Both age groups reported that the top motivators for considering a job in public service are opportunities for growth and advancement based on performance and having a flexible schedule and the opportunity to telecommute.

The poll was designed by the Council for Excellence in Government - a nonpartisan, nonprofit group dedicated to improving government - and conducted by Gallup to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week. The joint venture attracted responses from 895 participants via an online survey which were compiled into a report by the Council that we've attached to the end of this article.

The survey revealed that...

Whether or not the existence of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) is unconstitutional remains to be determined. Under a year ago, the Supreme Court almost tried to resolve this conundrum, but punted. Rather than asking whether the office violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause (which it may) or Separation of Powers (which it does, but more on that later), they summarily dismissed the case.

The Establishment Clause, which prohibits any "law respecting an establishment of religion," is notoriously hazy. Some read it and believe that simply using federal dollars to fund faith-based organizations clearly entangles the purse of government with the arm of religion. But interestingly, the phrase "separation of Church and State"...

Do you like being in control? Are you disciplined, tough-minded, meticulous and driven? Did you actually like the John Cusack movie "Pushing Tin"? If so, you should think about becoming an Air Traffic Control Specialist.



Established in 1958 by the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, the FAA is responsible for the safety of civil aviation. They operate the world's largest aviation system and are responsible for the safety and certification of aircraft and pilots, for the around-the-clock operation of our nation's air traffic control system, and for the regulation of U.S. commercial space transportation.

It takes some work to get there, but the FAA will give you the training and support you need for a great career. One of the few government jobs that has a defined training program...

Behind the scenes of every well-run office is the office manager. While not as glamorous as a gun-toting, door-kicking federal agent, policy adviser, or emergency responder, it's a key position that is often over looked and essential to the day-to-day operations of the government. Without the office manager, the special agent has no bullets, the policy adviser doesn't get the policy approved, and the responder doesn't have a way to contract backup support.

The position of office manager typically falls under the Administration and Program Series (GS-0301) within the government and can range from a GS-5 to a GS-15 in some cases ($35,000 - $149,000, depending on location). This series requires individuals to perform, supervise, or manage nonprofessionals, and calls for analytical...

I was provided the opportunity of a life-time courtesy of the US Navy. Along with 1200 other civilians, I embarked aboard USS Enterprise “Big E” for the last stretch of the ship’s six-month deployment, known as Tiger Cruise which immerses family and friends of the deployed members into Navy life: eating, sleeping and experiencing firsthand what Sailors and Marines experience while living aboard a naval vessel.

While on the monstrous aircraft carrier, we observed a variety of events to demonstrate the skills and training used to defend this country, including an air show featuring aircraft launches and recoveries, a 50-cal. machine gun live fire exercise, tours of the ship, and a rescue demonstration. I recorded the videos below, the first of which shows a helicopter rescue exercise.



This...

Immigration is on people's minds across the country, and a group of government workers spend their days on the front lines of this issue. They are Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, a part of the nation's security forces that until recently lived in the shadow of the FBI, DEA and ATF.

The job description for ICE officers touts "ever-changing challenges, doing necessary work that protects the welfare of American citizens." Though increasingly identified as the immigration raiders, the ICE also fights human trafficking and child exploitation, investigates cyber crimes, hunts fugitives, and protects intellectual property rights.

Part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement utilizes the government's second largest...

Yesterday, the House Committee on Homeland Security released - get this - a 22-page report entitled "The ICE Halloween Party: Trick, Treat, or Cover-up?"

The report explores the 2007 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Halloween party where an employee who dressed as a Rastafarian prison inmate, complete with black face, was awarded a prize for "most original costume" by Assistant Secretary Julie Myers and other senior ICE officials. You may remember our coverage of the event back in October.

The short version of the story is that some employees found the winning costume offensive and Secretary Myers admitted, after getting a slap on the wrist, that granting an award for the costume demonstrated "a bad judgment call." Case closed, right? Wrong.

For the...

Ask yourself this question: “What has government done for me lately?” If you are like most Americans, you will probably answer: “Not much.” Surveys show that 52% of Americans believe that “government programs have not really helped me and my family.”

But examine a typical day in the life of an average middle-class American and you'll quickly see the ways that government improves that person’s life. Don't believe it? Then read the entries below.

6:30 a.m. - You are awakened by your clock radio and listen for a few minutes to the news before getting up. But you can listen to your favorite station only because the Federal Communications Commission brings organization and coherence to our vast telecommunications system. It ensures, for example, that radio stations do not overlap and...