Recruiting letter in my work email this morning [View All]

[demnan]

TO: All U.S. Department of Transportation Personnel

FROM: John A. Flaherty, Chief of Staff

RE: Volunteers Needed for Temporary Assignment to Iraq

This announcement solicits transportation experts to volunteer for a temporary assignment to Baghdad, Iraq and possible consulates in other areas of Iraq.

The United States and its coalition partners are actively assisting the Iraqi Government in rebuilding their country. The American Embassy in Baghdad is playing a significant role in assisting the government of Iraq as it develops the infrastructure necessary to facilitate Iraq’s reintroduction into the global community. In 2004 the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), in support of these efforts, solicited expressions of interest from DOT employees wishing to serve. From the initial pool of more than 400 candidates, 3 were selected and deployed. As these assignments will shortly be coming due for renewal, the Department wishes to identify a new pool of candidates from which to make selections. Individuals who made their interest known in 2004 and who continue to be interested in a possible assignment should renew their expression of interest in this current solicitation.

This cadre of professionals will include several employees at the GS-12 grade level or higher as well as a Senior Executive Level Attaché, who will serve as Secretary Mineta’s senior representative at the Embassy.

Candidates for this assignment must have extensive knowledge of at least one mode of transportation and strong familiarity with the Department of Transportation in general. Interested individuals must be resilient, able to work under pressure, and have proven records as team players. Experience with U.S. embassies and knowledge of the Gulf and Middle East regions are highly desirable. No foreign language fluency is required, but there will be a stringent health requirement. Candidates need not currently hold a security clearance, but will be required to qualify for and obtain a clearance at the Secret level.

Conditions in Iraq remain both difficult and dangerous, which require that the assignments be unaccompanied tours. U.S. Government personnel will be housed in very tight quarters in trailers in the “Green Zone.” Consistent with the State Department’s request, the tour-of-duty will be for a minimum of one year, with mutually agreed extensions possible. Employees serving in Iraq are allowed special leave every three months and every six months are entitled to be flown back to the U.S. for a leave period. Selectees for this opportunity will either be temporarily assigned or temporarily promoted to the position following the completion of several preparatory courses presented by the Departments of Defense and State.

General schedule employees interested in this opportunity should apply through the QuickHire announcement DOT-2005-0006 by August 29, 2005. Senior Executive level employees should submit a resume via e-mail through the Executive Resources mailbox by August 29, 2005. Please title the e-mail IRAQ. We expect deployment by early fall.

For Information on the Iraqi Program please contact Dave DeCarme [phone]. For information on the application process please contact Deborah Perkins (202)
366-9447.