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Commanders hold town hall to discuss civilian furloughs due to sequestration

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shane Ellis
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Joint Base Charleston, S.C. --  Civilians and dual-status Air Reserve Technicians filled the theater here today for a town-hall meeting to hear from wing commanders on base regarding sequestration and civilian furloughs.
 
The meeting gave civilians and supervisors the opportunity to hear the official message on civilian furloughs, address their concerns and ask questions to find out what sequestration will mean for them.

The civilian furloughs here will be a result of the automatic budget cuts triggered by sequestration. Air Force Reserve Command officials estimate that the budget cuts will result in a reduction of up to 18 percent of flying hours and affect the command's 13,000 civilian employees.

The 315th Airlift Wing has 230 air reserve technicians and 36 civilians who will be affected by the furlough. The 560th RED HORSE Squadron, which is supported by the 315 AW, will add another 15 ARTS to the overall furlough equation.

According to Col. James Fontanella, 315 AW commander, communication throughout the furlough process will be key, and everyone affected by the furlough will have access to numerous support systems to help them.

"We're here to support you," said Col. Fontanella. "Our priorities are your wellbeing and mission accomplishment. We can't do our job without you."

The projected dates of the civilian furlough are April 21 to Sept. 21. During this time, according to the Air Force Reserve Command, civilians will be required to take 22 discontinuous unpaid days which will equate to a 20 percent cut in pay.

To help with the financial burden, several resources were discussed during the town-hall meeting which included the Air Force Aid Society, various Thrift Savings Plan options, free financial counseling from the Airman and Family Readiness Center, and the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund.

The 315 AW has a Web page dedicated to answering sequestration questions and will be updated as new information becomes available. For more information please visit: http://www.315aw.afrc.af.mil/sequestration.asp