AFMC Command News

Meeting outlines personnel services for transferring maintainers

  • Published
  • By Debra Bingham
  • Defense Supply Center Richmond Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Employees from the 402nd Maintenance Wing's 702nd Materiel Support Squadron learned about the personnel services and support they will receive when they transfer to Defense Logistics Agency during an August town hall meeting at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.

Under the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's 2005 supply and storage mandate, 265 jobs will transfer in place from the 702nd MSS to the Defense Logistics Agency, or DLA. The positions will remain in their current location and be managed by DLA's aviation supply chain manager, Defense Supply Center Richmond, or DSCR.

Brig. Gen. Andy Busch, DSCR commander, spoke with employees about the transfer process and the work being done to prepare for the Oct. 14 standup of the DSCR detachment at Warner Robins ALC. General Busch said the on-site transition team is working hard to ensure operations will run successfully when DLA assumes responsibilities for new business areas.

Mark O'Hara, director of personnel at Warner Robins ALC, also attended and said he felt the transitioning work force was moving into a very progressive organization with DLA.

"This is not your father's DLA," O'Hara said. "I'm impressed with DLA Human Resources and by what I've heard here today and the spirit of cooperation during my dealings with DLA. The delivery package they have put together for human resource services is outstanding."

Human resource specialists Ted Singer, from Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, along with Tom Barger, from DLA Human Resources Center, described the details of a human resource service provider agreement forged between DLA and AFMC and how it impacts employees realigned to DLA.

The support agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of AFMC and DLA from the detachment standup on Oct. 14 and the following 12-month period. Mr. Singer said the agreement is aimed at ensuring continuity of services to transitioning employees.

"This agreement represents a great deal of collaboration between DLA and AFMC," Mr. Singer said. "A lot of key players from civilian personnel to payroll to information technology have worked together to make sure the transfer is a success."

Under the agreement, AFMC will support DSCR detachment employees at Warner Robins ALC in the areas of position classification, staffing of DLA and Air Force vacancies, as well as benefits such as health care insurance, life insurance, Thrift Savings Plan and retirement.

"The Air Force will classify DLA DSCR positions using DLA position description templates," said Mr. Singer. "Air Force skills coding will be added for Air Force merit promotion considerations. Robins' civilian personnel office will continue to maintain official personnel files during the transition."

DLA is scheduled to transition to the National Security Personnel System, or NSPS, in February 2008 for non-bargaining-unit employees. Air Force employees who are currently in NSPS will remain in the system.

"AFMC will complete the entire performance process, with final rating, shares received, share amount and/or bonus approved by the Air Force pay pool manager," Mr. Singer said.

DLA has two regional human resource centers serving over 20,000 employees in 48 states and 28 countries, Mr. Barger said. DHRC-C, located in Columbus, Ohio, supports DSCR employees and will also support its detachment at Warner Robins, and future sites at Tinker AFB, Okla., and Hill AFB, Utah.

"DLA will have a human resource specialist on location working closely with the Warner Robins Civilian Personnel Flight to facilitate the transition of human resource servicing to DLA and provide advisory service for managers and employees," Mr. Barger said.

Barger described DLA's human resource programs, focusing on job classification, work-force development and training, and merit promotion. He also discussed the DLA-American Federation of Government Employee Council 169 master labor agreement and its impact on transferring employees.

Representatives from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and DLA's payroll center outlined how pay entitlements and processes would be impacted by the transition. They also provided details on annual and sick leave, compensatory time and credit hours, and time-off awards, and identified a payroll liaison dedicated to supporting the detachment.