Tuesday, June 26, 2012

DTS...you need it!

Defense Travel System is not going away. If you do any amount of TDY travel, you need to learn how to use it. I spent some time on the DTMO website learning how to use DTS, and it paid off immensely:

- While I was stationed in Norfolk, I wrote a number of no-cost TDY orders for myself to go to schools in the area, including classes at the Joint Forces Staff College. The end result was that I got more education then what I would have normally gotten on dead-end staff duty.

- I took the voucher class, and I managed to get paid quickly for all my travel expenses.

The DTMO website is here:

https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Passport/bin/Passport.html?CFID=17552274&CFTOKEN=85835122#

(CAC required)

I recommend logging in and doing the following training:
- DTS 101
- Travel Card 101

Also, watch the following demos:
- Create a voucher
- Create a local voucher
- First time log into DTS

The time you spend on this skill will be well worth it.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Intelligent, energetic, moral

All good things to be!
From http://navycaptain-therealnavy.blogspot.com/2012/03/neither-intelligent-nor-energetic-nor.html

"In a few of the most obvious cases that didn't involve hand-picked or celebrity assignments, they were quickly found out and summarily removed. More frequently though they not only were permitted to remain in command but even given a 2nd/3rd chance at command to further poison the careers and lives of the sailors that served under them. Although their mere existence represented a failure of leadership on the part of their seniors, never once was a senior held responsible for promoting or tolerating their appointment."

Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN (Ret)
Chief of Naval Operations (1974-1978)

Scarce, I know...but I'm back

Posting has been scarce as of late because I was deployed. But, now that I'm back, expect more posts to come.

One article I saw today that touched my interest was the DoD clamping down on what schools get Tuition Assistance:

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2012/06/military-schools-tuition-assistance-memorandum-excellence-061512w/

Probably because a lot of TA money was being used that didn't get a degree, the DoD will be clamping down more and more on who gets TA.

My take:

1. If you approved your sailors taking classes without looking to see if they had a degree plan....you're an idiot.

2. Get your degree started sooner rather than later.

3. For officers, look at Masters Programs from NPS and other DoD schools, since you don't have to file for TA while using them.