Travis announces civilian workforce reductions and military restructuring Published Nov. 3, 2011 By 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Travis Air Force Base will reduce support function costs and expeditionary headquarters overhead as part of an Air Force-wide action announced at the Pentagon Wednesday. The adjustments reflect several initiatives to boost mission effectiveness, eliminate organizational redundancy and reduce spending. The efficiency measures will result in a reduction of 58 civilian positions and 35 active-duty military positions. The change will affect approximately 3.6 percent of Travis' 1,600 civil service positions and less than one half of 1 percent of the base's 10,000 uniformed authorizations. Military personnel affected by the reductions will continue to proudly serve their country at other bases and DOD installations around the world. Most of the civilian positions to be effected are in the 60th Force Support Squadron and the 60th Civil Engineer Squadron. This focused reduction of infrastructure support is in direct response to the Secretary of Defense requirement to bring DoD civilian manning back down to fiscal year 2010 levels. "Travis Air Force Base recognizes the invaluable contribution of its civilian workforce, but also recognizes the difficult choices that Air Force leaders must make in order to manage operational efficiencies during these challenging fiscal and economic times," said Col Dwight Sones, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander. The civilian position reductions do not directly translate into lost jobs for people now working on the base. Some of the positions to be cut are empty due to normal attrition and the Air Force-wide hiring freeze now in place. Additionally, some employees have opted for voluntary early retirement and separation incentives. "The Air Force is continuing to exhaust all available voluntary force management measures with the goal of avoiding involuntary measures," Sones said. Additional savings and efficiencies will result from headquarters overhead reductions. Next year, the Air Force will inactivate the 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force headquarters and the 615th Contingency Response Wing headquarters . The contingency response units at Travis will remain here, but will fall under the command of the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. "These changes are part of an on-going process by leaders at all levels designed to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the global mobility enterprise," said Brig. Gen. Robert Thomas, 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force commander. The headquarters streamlining will result in the transfer of effected military positions to other bases, with no net change to the Air Force's military end strength. The change will also include the elimination or transfer of six civil service positions, included in the base-wide total. "We cannot be successful without our talented and experienced workforce. We are looking at every option to minimize the impact to our Airmen, civilian employees and their families," said Col. Gary Gottschall, 615th Contingency Response Wing commander. Beginning in May 2011, the Air Force implemented a series of hiring controls and voluntary separation programs designed to reduce overall manpower costs, but these hiring controls did not provide the results required to operate within our fiscal constraints. "The initiatives announced Nov. 2 represent the next step toward that goal, but there is more work to be done," said Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, director of Manpower, Organization and Resources. "The Air Force remains over fiscal year 2010 manpower levels and will continue to develop enterprise-wide solutions to achieve our goals with minimal impact to mission. The Air Force must still define an additional 4,500 civilian positions for reduction." As details become final, Air Force officials will release information on the next set of initiatives. Air Force-wide, local leaders will be sharing the results of the civilian manpower adjustments with their workforces over the next several days. "Civilian manpower adjustments will occur at all levels of the Air Force," Grosso said. "We are focused on shaping the force within our fiscal constraints and are committed to maintaining our long history of excellence as we build the Air Force of the future. "At this time, we are not sure whether a reduction in force will be necessary," she said. "We are pursuing all available voluntary force management measures to include civilian hiring controls with the goal of avoiding non-voluntary measures. Every vacancy we don't fill brings us one position closer to fiscal year 2010 levels and reduces the possibility for a RIF." Eligible civil service employees involuntarily separated through no fault of their own are given severance and are placed on the Reemployment Priority List, which provides priority placement consideration for federal job vacancies in the local commuting area. Given the constrained fiscal environment, Air Force members should expect continued workforce shaping measures affecting military, civilian and contractors, Grosso said. "We understand the stress caused by uncertainty and will do our best to share information across the workforce as soon as it becomes available," said Grosso. For more information, see the following websites Civilian Workforce Shaping Videos (AFPERS website) Regarding VERA, VSIP, RIF, etc. https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil/app/answers/detail/a_id/14061/ VERA/VSIP/Retirement (AFPERS website) https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil/app/answers/detail/a_id/18351 RIF Resources Portal (OPM website) http://www.opm.gov/reduction_in_force/ 60 FSS/FSMC SharePoint page