Air Force implements civilian hiring freeze

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Air Force implements civilian hiring freeze

Posted 1/17/2013 Updated 1/18/2013

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by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
Air Force Public Affairs Agency

1/17/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force senior leaders directed a force-wide hiring freeze among other workforce actions in a memorandum sent to senior commanders Jan. 16.

The actions are part of the Air Force's efforts to pursue reversible or recoverable steps to avoid impacts to core readiness caused by the looming possibility of sequestration and budgetary shortfalls.

Civilian pay makes up a large share of the Air Force's operating budget. With budgetary uncertainty and a projected fiscal year 2013 $1.8 billion shortfall in the Air Force funding for overseas contingency operations, Air Force leadership is taking these immediate actions to reduce the force's expenditure rate.

The temporary hiring freeze applies to all positions that are open to applicants outside the Air Force for permanent, temporary and term vacancies in all appropriations, according to the memo. Reassignments and promotions within the current work force will continue because they do not affect the current force size.

The memo, issued by Lt. Gen. Darrell Jones, deputy chief of staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., states hiring actions already in progress where a selection was made and an entry on duty date already established will continue, and set EODs may remain. External hiring actions where a job offer has not been made will be withdrawn. Exemptions from previous hiring controls do not carry over.

Additionally, commanders are directed to immediately release temporary employees, and not renew term employees. All temporary and term employees, to include reemployed annuitants that are not considered mission critical, should be separated in accordance with already established procedures.

More specific guidance on actions related to the civilian workforce hiring freeze and management of temporary and term employees is being developed and will be distributed through command channels as soon as details are available.

"These are uncharted waters concerning the federal budget and the effect it will have on the Air Force," Jones said in the memo. "It is imperative we work closely together to balance mission needs and minimize impacts to our dedicated civilian employees and their families."

Comments

3/4/2013 4:03:41 PM ET
I find it amazing how many people think that the implementation of cuts is based on logic and minimizing mission impact. With 2000 ILLEGAL immigrants released from prison BEFORE the cuts even started cutting carrier battle groups in the gulf from 2 to 1 and not refueling carriers all BEFORE the cuts even took effect there is no evidence of that. The cuts are devised as political tools by the White House SECDEF is directed to implement. The cuts are INTENDED to be uncomfortable to make a political point. I agree there are lots of ways to reduce the DoD budget and many good ideas on this blog. But to criticize the furloughfreeze and offer other ideas is silly. Those in power are doing this on purpose therefore by definition aren't interested in GOOD ideas like so many here have proffered. Rather people are being used as pawns to achieve political goals.

AF Officer, NoVA

2/2/2013 12:32:03 AM ET
There are far more reasonable cuts and sacrifices which can be made without hurting people's careers or jobs the domino affect to this can be disastrous. The AF is overrun with unnecessary travel and training and even IT expenditures which barely slip by FWA rules. And I will not even get into wasteful expenditures such as SRBs because service is about sacrifice and duty to country not to the highest bidder.

jcm, CA

1/25/2013 2:48:15 PM ET
Stop the constant reorganizing. No one stays in a system long enough to identify and fix the problems. About the time we figure out who does what to whom we move everyone around and start over. Only to do exactly the same jobs. Wastefull

Richard Parent, Barksdale AFB LA

1/25/2013 2:18:02 AM ET
Get rid of DAF police. They are supposed to make up 10 per cent of SF units but most are retired SF who ROAD'd for the last 5 years of their careers anyways. Then we have the ones who weren't retained as AD but now they are the SMEs on their job Prime example I've been in 14 years and got a guy who was booted for unfit for military service after 4 years and he is telling me how to do my job Let's get the miiltary back to being military

Frustrated, SF world

1/24/2013 3:29:35 PM ET
Furlough GS-12 and above first. Let the workers stay and they will money and most likely not be missed.

Old Chief, Las Vegas

1/24/2013 9:36:35 AM ET
First cut contractors That would eliminated the inflated cost of salary compared to hiring a GS employee. Secondly cut out all misc spending... for example every year a GPC holder has to spend the money ... rollover the money.. why it has to be spentFinally reevaluated the manpower when it comes down to GS-13 and above... especially in Eglin... it pretty fat and heavy here and majority are former 06's and above retirees.

what's right and make sense, Eglin AFB

1/23/2013 2:28:03 PM ET
Here is another idea. Turn Joint 3 year tours into 4 year CONUS tours just like other turns. Also don't PCS a person who has only been on station for 3 years while a vacancy is being list on Equal Plus to replace a person who is willing to stay.

Good Idea, CONUS

1/23/2013 12:23:46 PM ET
Think big. Reorganize and get rid of Numbered Air Forces. This isn't WWII when there were millions of people and thousands of planes and you needed another level of management and control. The numbered Air Forces are used to park general officers until they get a real job. So if you get rid of Numbered Air Forces you can get rid of some generals. How about a command that has one Numbered Air Force and one wing. The Air Force is way top heavy. How many lower ranking real workers can you save by getting rid of one general and all the staff it takes to support him

Tax Payer, Oklahoma

1/23/2013 10:04:45 AM ET
There is a lot of fat to cut in the DoD. I call the fat nice to have items like Military bands the Air Force alone have 716 military band members. Playing music is their only job. The annual salary of all of them is approximately 43000000. Not to mention all the benefits paid. That doesnt include the cost of all the TDYs operating and maintenance of instruments and facilities. Again this is just the Air Force the Army Navy and Marines also employ full time active military members in bands. I understand the band as a recruiting tool but I think a better recruiting tool would be to have local college or high school bands perform at functions like dining outs or annual awards ceremonies. Pay the school bands a thousand dollars per performance. This promotes community relations and puts money in the local schools art programs while exposing younger generations to the Air Force. For those of us that spent time in the sandbox I wasnt really excited to go see the Band of th

Mike, San Antonio TX

1/23/2013 8:04:26 AM ET
Don't forget to slash the Airman Family and Readiness Center staffs too. I don't think we need GS-9s through 12s manning desks and answering questions by directing folks to racks of pamphlets. The AFRCs are just a USA Jobs site for officer's wives.

J.T., Crestview FL

1/22/2013 8:03:14 PM ET
How much money do we spend stroking egos Why does a COL need to fly in a private plane if he's in civilian clothes no one would have a clue who he was. He can ride coach like the rest of us. Or how much money is spent providing transportation to and from the air port and DV runs for Transportation Flight Or tours of bases WHY We are just spending money to stroke ego. Most of the people we are helping are not public figures. So lets stop paying all this money to make their stay more fun. Keep the civilians but cut spending for the sake of spending.

heres an idea, really

1/22/2013 4:46:48 PM ET
I totally agree with Becky Kirtland quote - best path forward is to become smaller in order to protect a high quality and ready force.I'm for becoming smaller but you are downsizing the wrong group airmen and lower ranking civilians. You need to look at how TOP HEAVY we are. Get rid of some the GS-15 14Generals and Cols. We need a real workforce not someone who tells one person to do it all and they supervise. You have too many supervisors and not enough workers. Also quit adding new programs and new ways of doing things without getting rid of the old way of doing things. We workers end up running both with a smaller workforce. Start with Washington DC.also with Bob usa. The best solution is probably somewhere in the middle of those 2 ideals.

Deitz, Nellis AFB

1/22/2013 4:31:12 PM ET
Stop allowing computer programs to run the Air Force. Every 6 months a new program. That's big bucks for someone. Almost every other month a new website with the same info. Just look at the AFPortal. One civilian pay system would save money. Do away with the civilian pay surveys by government GS employees civilian markets have the same information. Just a start.

William , Georgia

1/22/2013 12:40:58 PM ET
Shut down one base in each major country and sell everything to that nations military. Furniture communications equipment vehicles. Then we are paying less to the personnel in the way of COLA we send less people overseas and we have spending money for assets that we really need. Also how many different types of fighter jets do we need Retire all but a few This way our maintainers are proficient in the few aircraft we need and we dont have to spend as much money replacing parts for 17 diffferent types of air craft And fewer pilots. Another thing is it really necessary to have sorties going 24 hours a day I don't know how much jet fuel costs but i can't imagine it being cheap. You want to cut the defense budget I have a lot of ideas. First on the list getting rid of most civilians.

Chris, Cannon

1/22/2013 10:47:17 AM ET
Great comments. My take civilians have been getting the short end of the stick to pay for budgetary shortfalls for long enough. The root cause of our inability to weather the shortfall lies with contracts. We can convert just about any required resource to a contract. Once converted to a contract it is now the most difficult resource to convert to any other method. The worst consequences of contracts are now surfacing. We could shut down the Air Force and furloughRIF all of the resources for a given amount of time but we would still have to pay at least in part for the active contracts even though no services are being rendered. I say its time for our leaders to start changing policies to convert these contracts to in-house methods wherever possible. They also need to start viewing civilian employment as a bilateral contractual obligation and stop giving them the shaft.

Another Guy From, Oklahoma

1/22/2013 10:21:20 AM ET
You want to cut a large chunk of the defense budget Close down all bases overseas. We have drones now.

Chris, Cannon

1/22/2013 10:13:38 AM ET
quote - best path forward is to become smaller in order to protect a high quality and ready force.I'm for becoming smaller but you are downsizing the wrong group airmen and lower ranking civilians. You need to look at how TOP HEAVY we are. Get rid of some the GS-15 14Generals and Cols. We need a real workforce not someone who tells one person to do it all and they supervise. You have too many supervisors and not enough workers. Also quit adding new programs and new ways of doing things without getting rid of the old way of doing things. We workers end up running both with a smaller workforce. Start with Washington DC.

Becky, Kirtland AFB

1/22/2013 8:34:05 AM ET
When they are talking aboutcommanders are directed to immediately release temporary employees and not renew term employees are they talking about Title 10 Federal employees or Title 32 Federal Employees

Worried, NJ

1/22/2013 7:16:24 AM ET
I want all to understand I am not a active duty hater. I was active AF FOUR 4 years then 4active army. I have 15 years of DOD service. We have been under a 5 year pay freeze no cola increses and this will be the second hiring freeze in 4 years. Now the pay freeze will be extended. In the same time frame ALL the branches of DOD active duty have received pay increases housing allowance increases cola increases wars we can not afford. Again I will suffer while active duty is rewarded along with our so called elected officals. I am ready to tke early retirement and work in the civilian force.

marco, japan

1/21/2013 10:01:04 PM ET
Sorry but cuts have to come from somewhere instead of complaining come up with a better solution. Where else could the cuts come from equipment resources etc..

The Force, Mass

1/21/2013 8:07:13 PM ET
@Jimmy OK Solid comment. @Bob USA Absolutely solid opinion and perception. It is sad to see that both in and out of the service that RHIP. I learned early on TIG does NOT constitute knowledge much less wisdom. So the fix so to speak is to keep the older fellers who've been in place for several decades but high enough to stay put and trash the newfresh bodymindeyes Brilliant. Band-aids are the answer to a cancer eating us from the inside out. The idea should be to replace not repair what hasn't worked. Blind faith is a costly endeavour hope is cheap in comparision. Just an opinion.

Ethan Dinnes, Tyndall AFB FL

1/19/2013 1:36:12 PM ET
The AF needs to overhaul how its attracts and retains talent from the private sector. Going after termstemp positions and turning away new blood is a lack of well thought out military strategy. As a result seniority gets rewarded. That seniority may not be up to par in terms of experience education and results as a civilian with less time in the government. Thus any reductions is focused on those with less time in government versus the best qualified. As a result private contractors continue to fill the AF void at a costly price.

Bob , usa

1/19/2013 10:24:08 AM ET
@Tony-I agree that the root of the issues lies in elected leadership but that doesn't mean that Air Force leadership has to make a half-hearted attempt to sustain morale by telling us that we are the most important resource when clearly we are not. It may just be temporary civilian positions now but it will be military positions next. And it is not anger it is realistic analysis.

Realistic, Remote

1/19/2013 1:25:30 AM ET
1.8 Billion shortfall in OCO so you make the service suffer. If you are going to wage war then act like you are waging war. Don't get involved in conflicts if you do not intent to pay for them. To do otherwise is to act like the Soviets did in the early 80's. Now those deployed will suffer like the Russians did. Sorry we couldn't fund your contingency deployment account. Here's some glue for your boots and a couple of MRE's. Now get on the bus. Don't forget your reflective belt.

Jim, Oklahoma

1/18/2013 3:57:50 PM ET
Realistic..the problem is with sequestration there must be immediate cuts. This isn't a slow gradual reduction in the size of the force. This is an ax coming down. So no more hiring. Also if you will look at the other items non-mission critical training sustainment of property are all getting cut. They are important items to be funded but since there is no money they have to go. So in 10 years buildings start to fall down and runways are cracking so be it. So it isn't just the civilian hiring freeze. I expect there will also be a civilian furlough of the maximum of 22 work days as well as next year a RIF. These cuts are mandated by Congress and I also expect a shutdown of the government sometime this spring.

James, Oklahoma

1/18/2013 12:07:27 PM ET
@Realistic--Don't aim all your anger at the USAF. There is only so much money. When our elected officials don't give us funds something has to stop being paid. Temporary employees are just that. Term employees have terms that will run out. It is unfortunate but our elected officials are the ones to blame.

Tony, Keesler

1/18/2013 10:29:08 AM ET
Air Force leaders should quit spouting the rhetoric that PEOPLE ARE OURGREATEST RESOURCE when people are the first thing to go when the going getstough. I guess once a unit has gotten used to doing more with less it cannever go back to doing the same with more. That is a dangerous slopebecause eventually we will be trying to do everything with next-to-nothing.Let the games begin

Realistic, Remote

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