Pros
Excellent federal benefits package
Strong developmental programs for acquisition-coded employees
Flexible work hours
Involved and supportive union representatives in most locations
Clear pay structure with step increases that don’t require changing jobs
Cons
Organization is highly unorganized and still dealing with a multi‑year restructure that has caused confusion across the entire agency
Direction shifts frequently with each new administration’s DoD priorities
Ongoing manpower reductions with no relief in workload
Widespread burnout among employees
Major Executive Orders in 2025 and 2026 created rapid, overwhelming change with little stabilization time
Management Analysts (0343s) are consistently deprioritized — no updated PDs, no structural updates, and no developmental plans have ever been created for them
At the CMO level, Management Analysts absorb miscellaneous administrative tasks that often fall outside the MSO's intended scope
Years of neglect show clearly in the difficulty retaining qualified analysts, the inability to backfill long-standing vacancies, and the excessive workload that never stops growing