r/fema

I hope everyone is safe.

If you’re trying to become a reservist for FEMA, which many people aren’t doing right now, please avoid applying for the training specialist position. It's the worst mistake I made. You’ll never be deployed. Do it if you need FEMA on your resume, but other than that, spare yourself the turmoil of that Cadre.

Gregg Phillips, the head of FEMA's Office of Response and Recovery, is stepping away from his role due to intensifying controversies surrounding his past public statements and growing concerns over how he is publicly perceived.

While the official statement from the Department of Homeland Security notes he is taking leave for personal reasons, internal sources indicate his departure was not voluntary. The primary drivers behind the decision include:

• Bizarre Podcast Claims: Phillips drew heavy national scrutiny after a CNN investigation revealed comments he made on conservative podcasts. Most notably, he claimed he had once been teleported against his will to a Waffle House in Georgia. He also suggested that COVID-19 and its vaccines were engineered to kill people.
• Violent Rhetoric and Online Posts: Lawmakers flagged past comments where Phillips stated he wanted to punch former President Joe Biden in the mouth and that Biden deserved to die. He also faced backlash for disparaging comments about immigrants and insulting online posts targeting lawmakers.
• Lack of Traditional Qualifications: Appointed in December, Phillips faced criticism from Democrats and emergency management experts for having no professional background in large-scale disaster relief management. His background was primarily rooted in human services and conservative activism, notably promoting unsubstantiated voter fraud theories.
• Congressional Pressure and Leadership Shifts: His departure follows a period of intense scrutiny on FEMA. Phillips recently missed a scheduled appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee where lawmakers intended to question him under oath about his fitness for the job. Additionally, newly confirmed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has been restructuring agency operations and reversing previous directives.

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You can watch a brief breakdown of his controversial podcast remarks in this FEMA official's Waffle House teleportation claim video, which highlights the specific statements that triggered widespread scrutiny from lawmakers.

There’s definitely some concerning language. I figured people would want to talk about it.

So how does this all work out?

Does SOR get to choose the top performers?

Will favoritism play a part in picking the 30%?

So many questions and not enough answers.

Did any COREs that had NTEs up this year get a new SF-50 with a different NTE? Some people got corrected ones that made the NTE date earlier or later.