Starting at Command and Staff College
Today will be my first day at Marine Command and Staff College.
As previewed two weeks ago, today will be my first day at Marine Command and Staff College.
I’ll likely be off the grid for a day or three owing to one of the Catch-22’s of working for the Defense Department: You can’t start working until you have a Common Access Card and you can’t get a CAC until you start working. Presumably, I’ll fill out the paperwork and get my photo taken today but it’ll likely be a bit before the card gets issued and, if this is typical of my previous DoD experience, I won’t be able to get the process rolling to get set up with a work station with Internet access until then.
And watch out for your local command rules about internet usage.
I find local CAC issuance a lot more streamlined than in places like the Pentagon. You may wait an hour or so, but the card is printed on the spot once they get all your informaion into the computer.
Getting the CAC is the easy part. That still doesn’t mean you have computer or internet access. That is entirely different process. Don’t know the rules at Command and Staff (may be looser) but there are a lot of firewalls and site blockages and I don’t think you can use a thumb drive. You might be going out to the patio with your personal laptop to get this other work done.
I agree with the comments above. Once you have an appointment, getting the CAC is pretty quick and simple. Computer access, not always so simple. 🙂
Sounds familiar. I started my first full-time higher ed teaching job last week. Well, classes start today. Figuring out a new institution is always a trip.
Best of fortune to you, sir. The Command & Staff College is lucky to have you. You have left us with plenty to chew on.
Best wishes James.
Good luck, James!
And good luck and welcome to the profession, Gromitt!
@Gromitt Gunn:
Best wishes to you also.
Good luck James.
And at some point, I’d love a post discussing the differences you find between teaching classes at the College and when you taught at your previous institution.
May the winds be favorable and the seas be light. Or something like that.