First and foremost, you serve a unique and valued mission. No other organization, public or private, plays as vital a role in the delivery of communication services to the backbone of our nation - from the President, to DoD leadership, down to the warfighter in the field. Most of our work is done behind the scenes and gets minimal attention. But, the reward for that work can not be topped. You are part of a greater cause where the work you do on a daily basis strengthens and protects our nation.

Professional Development | Time | Health | Community | Workplace

Professional Development

DISA wants you to be successful in your current job and in any future positions you might hold. The agency provides extensive educational resources and is grooming future leaders through a variety of professional development initiatives.

The training program at DISA features numerous centrally funded courses that you are encouraged to attend. Many of those courses are offered onsite at DISA Headquarters or are available online.
Additionally, DISA offers Books 24x7, a virtual library that brings books on a variety of subjects right to your desktop. And you might be surprised to learn that DISA pays for numerous professional certifications and licenses.

DISA also makes it possible for you to go back to school, whether it's to pursue an advanced degree or finish up that Bachelor's degree you started a few years back. The Competitive Education Program and the Career Intern Development Program provide the funding.

The Executive Leadership Development Program, Emerging Leaders Program, and the Career Intern Development Program all provide real work experiences as well as specific curriculum to put participants on the fast track to leadership roles. Additionally, DISA's mentoring program pairs junior-level employees with more seasoned professionals to provide career advice.

DISA also has technical and executive speaker forums which allow you to attend presentations from the best and brightest minds in government and private industry.

Time

Let's face it. Time is precious and you have very little of it. DISA respects the demands of life through its compressed work schedules (CWS) and telework program. CWS allows you to extend your work days to nine hours instead of the traditional eight in exchange for one day off each pay period. You are still working 80 - hour pay periods, but the day off is ideal for running errands or simply avoiding congested highways.

DISA's telework program gives you the flexibility to work from home or a telecommuting center up to three times a week. This equates to less time in gridlock and more time at home with your family.

Health

DISA has created a variety of programs to keep you physically and emotionally healthy.

The Wellness Program allows you to use three duty hours per week to exercise. The program also has a dedicated wellness coordinator onsite available to show you which exercises and foods work best for your personal fitness needs. In addition, a physical fitness facility with state-of-the-art equipment is currently in the design plans for the new DISA facility.

DISA also has an onsite nurse who arranges regular health screenings and tests for the workforce.

Additionally, DISA has an Employee Assistance Program in which you can speak with trained counselors regarding any personal or professional problems.

Community

DISA takes a hands-on approach to giving back to the community. Employees volunteer at local schools through the Adopt-A-School program. Last year DISA provided nearly 200 hours of service to children through the program. Additionally, the agency's Memorandum of Agreement with the National Science Center encourages youth to pursue careers in math, science, and engineering.

Workplace

DISA is building a state-of-the-art complex that will have a lot to offer in terms of offer in terms of your well-being, new technology, and a more comfortable and collaborative work environment.

Relocation Assistance | Transportation Support | Retention Incentive | Spouse Placement

Relocation Assistance

If your commute will increase by at least 10 miles, DISA will offer you permanent change of station (PCS) entitlements. The cost of PCS for relocation of employees will be paid in accordance with the DoD Joint Travel Regulation. While a final offer of entitlements is under development, DISA has authorized the following:

• Transportation and per diem
• Assistance in selling or purchasing a home.
• Financial assistance for lease termination
• Transportation and temporary storage of household goods
• Transportation of mobile home when used as primary residence
• Allowance for miscellaneous expenses
• Relocation income tax allowance (RITA)

For more information, please visit Relocation 101: A PCS Primer.

Transportation Support

DISA is working on a number of initiatives to make the commute to Ft. Meade more convenient and cost effective. The following are some of the transporation initiatives:

• Working with local bus companies to provide a shuttle between our new facility and the nearby MARC station in Odenton.
• Developing an online resource to assist staff in coordinating carpools to and from Ft. Meade.
• Establishing priority parking spaces at Ft. Meade for those vehicles that have multiple passengers.
• Maximizing the use of Mass Transit Subsidy.

For more information about transportation support, please visit the Commuting section.

Retention Incentive

A retention incentive may be paid to a current DISA employee in a hard-to-fill position with unusually high or unique qualifications if:

• there is a special need for the organization to retain the employee's services
  and
• the absence of a retention incentive would likely result in the employee leaving Federal service or it would lead the employee to take another position in the Federal service, a position in another DoD component, or a different position in the same DoD component.

A retention incentive may be authorized for employees in other series on a case-by-case basis. Payment of a retention incentive must be fully justified. The retention incentive may be up to 25% of the employee's annual rate of basic pay (to include locality or a special rate supplement). With OPM approval, this cap may be increased to 50% (based on a critical agency need). A written justification for the retention incentive must be submitted to MPS1 and approved by the Senior Champions Forum. Retention incentives are reviewed annually.

Spouse Placement

It is DISA's intent to limit adverse employee impact as a result of the BRAC transformation. If you are relocating, every attempt will be made to facilitate the placement of your spouse. If your spouse is a current DoD employee or accompanied by a military sponsor, and is otherwise eligible, he/she may register in the DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) for positions within the Department of Defense.