McConnell Reserve unit braces for furlough

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  After weeks of review, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel concluded budget cuts will require most of the department's civilian employees to be furloughed beginning in July, but that because of other efforts to deal with the shortfall, the 22 days originally envisioned has been reduced to 11 days.

In a memorandum dated May 14, Hagel stated that furloughs are scheduled to begin July 8, one per week, through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2013.

"I was really hoping I we could avoid [the furlough] entirely, but unfortunately it looks like it's a very real possibility," said Col. Mark S. Larson, 931st Air Refueling Group commander.

In a memo to senior department leaders, Hagel said he had "very reluctantly" concluded that major budgetary shortfalls triggered by a $37 billion cut in defense spending for fiscal 2013 forced a decision he deeply regrets, and one that he acknowledged will disrupt lives and impact DOD operations. However, he credited congressional passage of a defense appropriation bill in March in part for helping to reduce the number of days civilians would be temporarily laid off by half.

Though the amount of days has been reduced, the increasing reality of reduced paychecks and limited training opportunities will still take its toll on the 152 federal civil service employees assigned to the 931st Air Refueling Group, 144 of which are dual-status Air Reserve Technicians, federal civilian employees who serve in the AF Reserve. As of May 14, the number of furlough hours is not to exceed 88 hours, or 11 discontinuous work days.

This means furloughing employees one day per week or 16 hours every two-week pay period from July 8 until September 30.

Despite the reduction in days, the furlough will still cause McConnell employees to lose about one paid 8-hour day per week. This reduction in pay will cause financial stress for many civilian workers in the 931st ARG.

"Even with the reduced amount of furlough days, [civilian employees] will still lose about 20 percent from each pay check, so we will definitely feel the impact of the original proposed furlough, but over a shorter period of time" said Susan Isaman, a 931st Air Refueling Group full time civilian employee.

To help further ease the burden of the furlough and the lack of manning it will inevitable cause, Hagel stated in the same May 14 announcement managers have been given authority to develop specific furlough procedures to minimize adverse mission effects and to limit the harm to morale and productivity.

Along with the financial challenges, the loss of one work day per week may cause difficulty of maintaining the continuity between full-time ART employees and traditional Reservists. Additionally, McConnell's active duty maintainers often rely on the experience and the manpower of dual-status workers.

"This is 11 days that we're not going to be able to touch our Seasonal Training Program for new traditional Reservists coming into the unit," said Master Sgt. Carl Petersen, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief team lead and also an ART. "This will impact the flying mission as well, the flying schedule and possibly affect active duty because they will have to supplement our individuals with their own."

Despite these challenges, Larson remains optimistic about the resiliency of the 931st ARG.

"We will push forward and continue to support our people on the road that lies head," he said. "We can't predict the actions of Congress, but we can predict how 931st ARG will act in the face of adversity."