The Air Force is taking measures through mid-August at some 60 installations to get its civilian workforce down to levels approved by Congress in Fiscal 2012, announced service officials on Wednesday. The civilian reduction-in-force authorities that force management officials are implementing are not related to cost-cutting measures associated with the budget sequester, they said. Instead, these actions are part of the continuing process begun in Fiscal 2012 to reduce more than 16,000 civilian positions and rebalance the civilian workforce. So far, the Air Force has shed 15,000 of those slots, and will use the RIF authorities to assist in placing those remaining “surplus” employees not assigned against funded positions, states the April 17 release. “Usually a reduction in force has negative perception, but the use of RIF procedures will allow many employees to be retained and continue employment with the Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, the Air Force’s director of force management policy. “We remain committed to minimizing the impacts during these times of transition,” she added.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.