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Fairchild loses three positions in civilian restructuring

  • Published
  • By Scott King
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Base officials announced Jan. 12 that three civilian personnel positions will be eliminated here as part of civilian workforce adjustments announced by the Air Force Jan. 11.

Base officials are making face-to-face notifications to those affected by the decision.

Air Force officials announced 4,500 additional positions for elimination as a continuation of its FY12 Civilian Workforce Restructure Jan 11.

This reduction builds on the realignments announced in November, including the elimination of 9000 positions and the addition of 5,900 positions against the Air Force's top priorities. In addition, these reductions respond to the Secretary of Defense's direction to target civilian funding at fiscal year 2010 levels.

"We value our talented and experienced workforce and are trying to do everything possible to manage these reductions with as little impact to our people as possible," said Michael B. Donley, Secretary of the Air Force.

In an effort to encourage voluntary separations and retirements, the Air Force is currently offering its second round of voluntary separation incentive pay and voluntary early retirement authority programs. Civilian employees received VERA/VSIP eligibility surveys from their personnel managers earlier this month and the applications are due no later than Feb. 3. Approved applications will result in separations or retirements that take effect by April 30.

"For this latest round of cuts, we will lost three civilian positions, impacting two employees," said Sharon Seiber, 92nd Force Support Squadron Manpower and Personnel Flight acting chief. "Locally we continue to use all personnel tools available to mitigate impacts to employees. The goal is to take care of those impacted employees of Team Fairchild and we are optimistic that our efforts have positioned us to achieve our goal."

Air Force officials are still evaluating the need for a Reduction in Force.

The Air Force is conducting a comprehensive strategic review of the entire AF civilian workforce to ensure civilian authorizations were in the right place to meet mission priorities for fiscal year 2012 given a budget that targeted funding for civilian full time equivalents to fiscal year 2010 levels. This review addressed a variety of initiatives started by the August 2010 guidance from the Secretary of Defense to identify efficiencies that could make resources available to apply to high priority missions, as well as the culmination of previously planned changes to the civilian workforce. The overall result is the implementation of many initiatives in 2012.

"At this time, we are surveying the workforce for a second round of VERA/VSIP and are in the midst of management reassignments resulting from the first round of the restructure," said Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, Director of Manpower, Organization, and Resources. "Once we exhaust all voluntary force management measures, a determination will be made whether or not a RIF is necessary. We hope to have more information in the spring."

This announcement marks the end of civilian reductions associated with the Air Force's FY12 civilian workforce restructure.

(Ann Stefanek, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs contributed to this article)