Re: Unknown government training?

[beal@ketch.cis.ohio-state.edu (Alan Beal)]

In article <8902280023.AA20727@rutgers.edu> casado@mdlrth.dnet (Ben x2302) writes:
>     Perhaps you were involved with the government for a few years and 
>not that much was being done for the sake of training personnel in the Ada 
>language, but I worked with the government for two years and received an 
>education and training in Ada that made me very marketable in private 
>industry.

   Ok, I worked for the defense department(really Defense Logistics Agency) 
   for 5 years.  I started out without any degree in CS, ADP, etc but was
   recruited into a 3 year intern program to train me how to program in
   COBOL.  One person was trained in ADA the whole time I was there - this
   is out of about 60-70 programmers.  There was lip service to how the
   defense department had mandated that all new software be programmed in
   ADA.  When I left(in Sept), the score was COBOL 3000, ADA 0.

   I have a friend who worked for an Air Force cataloging agency and then
   for the Navy.  I don't recall any mention of ADA training or its use
   by him.  

   I may have been premature in implying that the government isn't using ADA
   at this time or isn't planning to use ADA in the future.  My
   opinion is that there will be some areas in which ADA will be used but I
   feel a great deal of the programming will continue to be done in COBOL
   for many years to come.

   It is true that the government invests a lot of money in training, but I
   question if it is always well spent.  After all, there are those of us
   who willing accept this training and then leave.  I have seen numerous
   cases where people claimed they couldn't program in language XYZ, but
   once they received training in language XYZ, about one month 
   later it would be hard to get those people to do even the most basic
   programming in that language.  At this point, they suddenly get a job as
   a systems analyst.

>In my first year with the government I was send to Texas to get  
>trained in Ada and Software Engineering.  After that year I was transferred   
>to the Communications and Electronics Command, Ft. Monmouth N.J. to continue 
>my training.  There I developed a wide variety of projects in Ada, and also 
>received an educational package that helped me obtained a masters in Software 
>Engineering at Monmouth College.  

  I am curious why you aren't still with the government if it was such the
  progressive, modern environment that you depict.  I would predict you
  are probably making at least one-half again as much as you were with the
  government.  Now Lockheed is benefiting from the investment of the 
  government on your behalf.

>     Before you get involved in a public activity such as this one and make
>unbacked allegations about the DOD, perhaps a little research should be
>done on your part.  

  I was just commenting on my experiences with the government, and I agree
  my statements may have been a little too general and perhaps I should
  not have been speaking for the defense department as a whole.  But then
  after 5 years, I could really tell you some horror stories.
-=-
 Alan Beal
 The Ohio State University
 Department of Computer and Information Science
 beal@cis.ohio-state.edu      {pyramid,killer}!osu-cis!cis.ohio-state.edu!beal