Mike Causey

Dangerous Duty: Being A Fed Anywhere

When feds are called upon to give their all, at least, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey, there\'s the knowledge that their children will still be part of t...

Federal News Network Staff

June 19, 2008 4:00 am

3 min read

Being a federal or postal worker has never been more dangerous than it is today. Right now. Sometimes it is deadly. And you don’t have to work in a bulls-eye target like New York or Washington. In can be a consulate in the Middle East or a federal building on Oklahoma.

There are hundreds of widows, widowers and surviving children (some of them having lost both parents) out there. Their spouses or parents worked in more than a dozen agencies. Most were killed in the line of duty, most recently by various terrorist attacks ranging from Oklahoma to Africa to the Pentagon.

That’s the horrible reality of our complicated world today.

The up side (if you can call it that) is that the kids of feds who were killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of the federal building, and those whose parents were killed in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon are all going to college, free, if they want to go. They have gotten, or will get, a free-ride to the college of their choice. All expenses paid.

The program already has a number of Yale, Harvard and Princeton grads. Even one who went to Oxford. Many elected to stick close to home going to community colleges. A high percentage went into the so-called “helping” professions, as teachers, nurses, doctors, counselors.

Wonder why?

The college-of-your choice program is a long range one. One of the eligibles wasn’t even born at the time his father was killed. But he will get to go to the college of his choice when the time comes.

And there is a “forgotten group” that needs help. These are children of State-AID workers who were killed in various terrorists attacks (like the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, or the bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam). State Department employees are donating to a “Fallen Diplomats” education fund for their dead colleagues’ children. The Federal Employee Education and Assistance feds, feds helping feds, has promised a dollar for dollar match in the campaign to raise $750,000 for the diplomats’ kids’ education.

FEEA gets its money from CFC payroll deduction contributions from feds and from individual donations. Also, major financial help from outfits like GEICO, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Wright & Company and the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program..

But if you want more information on the program, and the story of the Fallen Diplomats Campaign, check it out.

FEEA also operates special funds for employees of many agencies, from the Labor Department to the CIA. To see if your agency has a program, click here.

Invisible Man Revealed

The latest from the reader known as Stan the Man: The ER called the psych ward to tell them a woman just brought her husband to the ER and they wanted to refer him to psychiatry. “He believes he is invisible,” said the attending.

The psychiatrist answered, “Well, I can’t see him today.”

Suspicions confirmed!

COFFE Double Header

The Council of Former Federal Executives is offering a two-for-one special at its June 23 luncheon. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) is the speaker and will also present COFFEs top service award to John Palguta. He’s with the Partnership for Public Service and a retired official of the MSPB. The luncheon is at Holiday Inn/WestPark in Rosslyn, Va. Tickets are $10. The contact point Ellen Wormser at : ewormsererols.com.

Nearly Useless Factoid

The last time there was a forfeit in Major League Baseball was August 10, 1995 – Ball Night at Dodger Stadium. Turns out, baseballs are just the right size for throwing. Even for fans. At Tommy Lasorda.

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com