Here’s a quick test to see how much you know about government jobs.

Question: What does an air traffic controller do, how does one become an ATC, how many are there and how many of them are women?

Answer: They direct air traffic, the training is tough, a lot (yet not enough) and I don’t know. You probably don’t either.

But we’re going to find out this morning on our Your Turn radio show. One of the nation’s top air traffic controllers is going to be our guest. Trish Gilbert is the executive vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. She’s part of a series we are working on to identify high-profile (and some not so high-profile) jobs in the federal government. Many members of the public know these people exist, but haven’t a clue how they got where they are or what they do. So we’re going to try to find out.

Park rangers take care of National Parks. We know that. But what does that mean? Do they really range, or work from an air-conditioned office or in some steamy (this time of year, snow-covered) yurt or tent? Given the crime in parks, from muggers to marijuana growers, how many of them carry guns?

What about IRS revenue officers. Who are they, and what do they do?

How many cooks and hair-dressers does Uncle Sam employ? And why and where? Again, we’ll check it out.

The show will also feature senior writers from the Federal Times who will talk about the possible impact of the election on federal and postal workers. And retirees. Will the 2013 pay freeze last all year or end in March? And our old friend Sequestration. The President said it isn’t going to happen. But what if it does? Where does that leave you? In furlough status. Maybe out of a job. We’ll try to sort through the assessments (some of them intentionally scary and self-serving) to give you a clearer picture of what might be your future.

Listen if you can (1500 AM or online), and if you have questions email them to me at mcausey@federalnewsradio.com or call in during the show at (202) 465-3080. The show will be archived here.

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID

By Jack Moore

Back in the 1970s — when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration still designated hurricanes with only female names — Florida feminist Roxcy Bolton proposed naming the storms after U.S. senators instead of women.

(Source: Mental Floss)

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The U.S. Coast Guard has kicked operations into high gear now that Post-tropical Cyclone Sandy has hit the Eastern Seaboard. Prior to the superstorm’s Monday night landfall, the Coast Guard had all of its assets pre-positioned along the coast for search and rescue mode today, said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Frederick, in an interview on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.

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