Comment on DOD-2026-OS-1321-0001
AnonymousSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter, a civilian supervisor in the Department of Defense, supports the proposed rule amendments to the Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo). They argue that the current system fails to adequately compensate for increased responsibility and that the proposed out-of-cycle pay increases are necessary to retain high-performing personnel and ensure military readiness.
Comment in Support of Proposed Rule Amendments – Docket ID: DOD-2026-OS-1321
If the AcqDemo expires at the end of this year, I will receive a $17k+ pay increase when my position reverts to its GS-13 equivalent. Surprisingly, I don't want to go back to GS: It is a broken system that rewards people for "not failing" instead of performing. I believe in the AcqDemo program, but me, my family, and my organization are suffering because of it.
As an AcqDemo NH-III Supervisory Occupational Safety Manager supporting critical fighter wing, munitions, depot maintenance, cybersecurity, C-UAS, AFNWC, and AFLCMC, my daily focus is ensuring our forces are fully prepared to defend on the ground and in the sky. I stepped into this leadership role not because it was easy, but because it was challenging and would help accelerate the rapid fielding of critical systems and support the DoW’s strategic objectives. However, the current AcqDemo framework undermines the very meritocracy it claims to support. When I assumed this GS-13 equivalent role from a GS-12 equivalent position, it was processed as a mere lateral reassignment despite what my onboarding POC conveyed prior to accepting the position. My operational risk and accountability increased exponentially, yet my compensation remained almost stagnant. We cannot expect to project strength and resolve if our personnel system financially penalizes the hard-charging civilians who step up to match our acquisition capabilities to emerging threats.
True peace through strength requires a military and civilian apparatus operating at peak readiness. The proposed Out-of-Cycle Within-Broadband Pay Increases address a critical retention vulnerability by giving commanders the agility to match compensation with actual responsibility in real time. To retain the talent necessary to sustain our lethality, the DoW must finalize these amendments. I strongly recommend issuing explicit guidance that authorizes concurrent—and where appropriate, retroactive—pay adjustments for these transitions. Accountability goes both ways; if we demand maximum performance from our acquisition leaders to deter future conflicts, we must equip local commanders with the tools to properly compensate them.