Pacific Air Forces to divest 237 billets

Release Number: 020714

7/17/2014 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  -- To meet a Headquarters Manpower Reduction Directive, Pacific Air Forces will divest a total of 237 billets by the end of this fiscal year. The directive, set forth by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in 2013, will reduce total headquarters staffs by 20 percent across the services.

To help meet this goal, the Air Force will create the Air Force Installation & Mission Support Center. The center will reduce management overhead by consolidating installation management functions currently being performed at every Major Command. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Army have similar centers.

Of the 237 billets divested from PACAF, 145 of them will be realigned under AFIMSC. Due to resulting efficiencies of the consolidation, most of the billets realigned to AFIMSC will be converted to savings. The remaining 92 billets will be identified for reduction.

"Every PACAF Airman is important and fills a vital role in our nation's defense and in ensuring stability and security for the Asia-Pacific region," said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, PACAF commander. "We have an obligation to the American people to produce the very best Air Force we can with the resources we are given, which in part led us to these very difficult decisions. We will do everything we can to help any Airman - uniformed or civilian - adversely impacted by this reduction."

To identify which billets will be reduced, PACAF is taking a deliberate look at each position to determine how it impacts the completion of Combatant Commander and national objectives. Once that analysis is complete, PACAF leadership will be able to determine the best mix of positions to accomplish the mission in the most effective and efficient manner.

Transition plans, to include the breakdown of which positions will be reduced, are still being solidified.

To avoid incurring excess permanent change of station costs, affected military personnel will likely complete their tour in the Pacific. Once they've completed their tour of duty and have moved on to their next duty station, their billet will not be filled and it will be removed from PACAF manning documents. Military personnel will not face a reduction in force as a result of this change.

To minimize the effect on civilian personnel, the Air Force will initiate Voluntary Early Retirement Authority programs and Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay to foster voluntary reductions before pursuing involuntary measures. VERA/VSIP surveys will be open from July 21 - August 1; separation dates will be effective September 30, 2014.

Adversely impacted civilians will be notified at least 60 days prior to a reduction in force effective date.

Because this reorganization reduces the number of people required for middle management, this reorganization will not change commanders' authority at the wing level, nor will it impact flying operations or services available to Airmen.

"Our challenge, in a fiscally-constrained environment, is to maintain the balance between having a ready force today and a modern force tomorrow," said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, Pacific Air Forces commander. "In the future, the Air Force must become smaller while providing the capabilities the nation needs. This means our workforce and installations of the future will look and operate differently."