NFA Branch Examiner Assistants

There has been some Internet chatter about assistants being hired for the NFA Examiners in Martinsburg. I have sought confirmation and clarification and can verify the following:

• There are currently 10 DOJ hired ATF employees as NFA Examiners. That number is not changing anytime soon, barring attrition, etc.
• Assistants are *not* ATF employees and being placed via a government contract for a one year term.
• ATF is still under a hiring freeze.
• ATF is making its case to post a solicitation for hiring 5 new Examiners in FY 2013

It is estimated that it will take a few months before the new Assistants are up to speed and effective.

10 ~ 12 Assistants are being added, at least initially.

Excellent information, and hopefully a big help to reduce work load on examiners and reduce transfer time.
Bill

Cool, that should help to speed up the time it takes to get forms back.

Not for long. As long as the work load continues to increase (and I see nothing to indicate we have peaked), this will only be a temporary measure. We need more full time Examiners and we all need to be banging on our Congress Critters to give ATF the budget to do this.