AFMC Command News

AFMC prepares for civilian job reductions

  • Published
  • By John Scaggs
  • Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Air Force Materiel Command officials announced June 29 that the command will lose between 600 and 720 civilian positions in fiscal 2007 as part of Department of Defense-mandated force reductions.

Affected positions will be identified by Oct. 1, 2006 — the beginning of fiscal 2007. Positions will be eliminated during fiscal 2007.

According to Col. Keith Wilkinson, Headquarters AFMC’s Manpower, Personnel and Services Directorate deputy director, the impact of the cuts on individual AFMC bases has yet to be determined.

“The command will certainly use available tools to reduce the impact of this reduction on the work force, such as limiting new hires, and the possible use of separation incentives and early retirement authorities,” Colonel Wilkinson said. “If a reduction in force, or RIF, is still needed to reach the required number of eliminated authorizations, notices would likely be issued no earlier than March 2007. The actual dates of RIF notices and actions may vary between individual bases.”

According to Gen. Bruce Carlson, AFMC commander, AFMC will start the downsizing by offering voluntary retirement packages, followed by RIFs if too few people sign up for the separation incentive package.

“We hope it doesn’t come to that (RIFs),” General Carlson said. “But our goal remains to develop a balanced force while funding recapitalization efforts for our aging aircraft. We must ensure that we are not only the world's most respected air and space force today, but for tomorrow as well.”

Colonel Wilkinson added that as the Air Force balances funding requirements for personnel and force modernization, AFMC could face further personnel reductions among its civilian and military personnel.

The Air Force budget plan for fiscal 2007 requires a reduction across the Air Force of 2,000 civilian authorizations. AFMC’s portion equates to about 1.25 percent of the command’s civilian work force. AFMC has the highest concentration of civilians among the Air Force’s nine major commands. From a personnel roster of 80,000, AFMC employs 56,000 civilians.