Sequestration will impact Tinker Guard and Reserve

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jon Quinlan
  • 507th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Air Force Reserve Command officials estimate automatic budget cuts triggered by sequestration will result in a reduction of up to 18 percent of flying hours and affect the command's 13,000 civilians with more than 300 of those here in the 507th Air Refueling Wing and 513th Air Control Group.

Sequestration is a provision in budget law that triggered major across-the-board spending cuts affective on March 1.

Of the 13,000 AFRC civilians who would be affected by furlough, nearly 9,000 are air reserve technicians -officer or enlisted Airmen who work the same job as a full-time Title 5 federal civil service employee and as an Air Force reservist.

The ART program was developed as a means to provide cost savings for DOD. The command relies on the program's full-time manning to train, maintain readiness and provide continuity to the wings' missions.

Additionally, nearly 1,000 Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard civilians and technicians may also be impacted with some of those coming from the 137th Air Refueling Wing, an associate unit with the 507th.

Department of Defense Comptroller Robert F. Hale told reporters at a Pentagon news conference that the department will cut virtually every program and investment, and that almost all civilian employees will feel the pain.

Jessica L. Wright, the acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said that sequestration and the continuing resolution -- a temporary funding measure for the federal government that's set to expire March 27 -- also will have a devastating effect on military personnel.

"Everything is going to be affected, should sequestration go in effect," Wright said. "That's a guarantee. I think that everybody will be impacted by this action. And I think its incumbent upon us to try to ease that where we can."

Air Force and DOD leaders hope to ease the impact of the cuts and are encouraging those affected to use civilian support agencies, like the Federal Employee Assistance Program and Airmen and Family Readiness Centers.

Reserve units here have already taken actions to save money. Units here have slowed spending, instituted a hiring freeze and cut temporary training and non-critical temporary duty assignments.

As for furloughs, the most likely option is one day per week for the last 22 weeks of the fiscal year for a total of 22 work days. One day per week for those affected equals a 20 percent reduction in pay during the furlough period which would end in September, according to DOD analysts.

These furloughs will affect the vast majority of DOD's almost 800,000 civilian employees, Wright said. Tinker Air Force Base has approximately 14,000 civilians that will be impacted, according to Air Force Sustainment Center figures. Some of those are traditional reservists that work in AFSC as civilians.

"The bottom line is furloughs would not actually start for DOD employees until late April." Hale explained. Limited exceptions will be made for the purposes of safety of life and health.

Local commanders reiterate that the mission will continue even as sacrifices will be made.

"We will take care of the people who take care of our mission," said Col. Jeffrey McGalliard, 513th Air Control Group commander. (AFRC news contributed to this report)