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DODD Teachers Chatboard

Unemployed to US Forest Service School to DoDEA Japan

by Dr. Ali Fant

Mar 14

Recently had a in-person request about my employment path -- folks do read chat posts years into the past. I was unemployed -- save as a Toilet Paper Checkperson at a Texas Walmart. The store wanted a friendly face to stop cutomers buying more than 1 package of TP per trip. An USAJOBS search agent led to a job possibility with the US Department of ...See MoreRecently had a in-person request about my employment path -- folks do read chat posts years into the past. I was unemployed -- save as a Toilet Paper Checkperson at a Texas Walmart. The store wanted a friendly face to stop cutomers buying more than 1 package of TP per trip. An USAJOBS search agent led to a job possibility with the US Department of Agriculture's USFS. Perhaps, the government hired me because of this unusual job.

I was hired by an US Forest Service School in the Coville National Forest to train 16-21 year olds "kids" in basic high school courses helping them certify as smoke-jumpers and forest fire fighters. After six months, DoDEA Japan offered me a Middle School position without an interview in Iwakuni Japan.

I am one of a few DoDEA teachers receiving both a Social Security Pension, FERS pension, and regular salary. I am not the oldest teacher in my school. I learned from older teachers, that you pay monthly into SS and FERS, The SS Pension is adjusted by your higher recent earnings each October. Your FERS pension is recalculated after five years of FERS contributions.

I asked for my FERS pension before being hired by the US Forest Service. You have to certify you are not a federal employee in order to start the FERS -- which takes six months to complete. I used my FERS lump sum to later purchase my ticket to Japan to avoid sardine class during the pandemic. I received 771 for the airline flight from SATO and I paid the remaining 10K from my FERS lump sum. I was given a special letter in addition to my PCS orders to allow me to travel internationally during CoVID.

Arriving in Japan, I had a 30 day ROM -- two weeks in Yokota and 2 weeks in Iwakuni. The quarantine dropped to 2 weeks the day after I arrived in Japan.

I brought a month's supply of Mountain House Freeze Dry food in case I would not be allowed to leave my quarantine. The US Forest Service Quarantine was much worst as students had to stay inside their rooms all day with only a one hour walk outside with a monitoring adult. All teaching was virtual using Google Classroom. On the military bases, other people had to bring food to your hotel door and quickly walk away after knocking on your door. Very nerve wracking!

Then I found I was hired at a minimal level and grade because DoDEA had lost all my previous DoDEA job records. I emailed the US Archives and ended up sending copies of all my pay stubs directly to CHRA to prove my previous DoDDS/DoDEA service. The major problem was DoDEA wanted me to provide Proof of my Service from past DoDDS Principals who were long dead. I finally got it sorted out after 12 months, but I resoved to always keep paper copies of all SF-50s. Do not ever select the "paperless" option for SF-50s from the US Government. You will regret it.

Iwakuni is a 250 Grades 6, 7, 8 students school. The denial of health coverage in Japan is a worry and caused some teachers with kids to leave. I enjoy it here as it gets me nearer to South Korea DoDEA than Texas.

Nevertheless, if your are healthy and willing to fly back to the US for health coverage provided by your monthly insurance payment, it is okay. Only teachers with an active duty spouse are allowed to take their kids to the base clinic. The government investigated this issue in 2023 and found it is only a problem for DoDEA Teachers without Active Duty spouses in Japan.

President Biden and his wife visited our base in May 2023. Dr. Jill Biden visited our schools on base while the president was in Hiroshima with other world leaders. But even the president could not resolve the health issue.

Japan is not China, but I continue to prepare myself for licensure as a Chinese Language teacher in Texas, Alaska, and DoDEA. Japan is the first time I got back to Asia since the pandemic blocked all international travel.

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