Officials at Sheppard AFB, Tex., are urging civilian personnel there to ensure their paperwork is up to snuff as the base moves toward a Reduction in Force based on the long-awaited outsourcing decision released in late August. And, according to the Oct. 17 release, they believe all permanent civilians, not just those in designated A-76 Competitive Sourcing Study areas, should correct their personnel records, as needed. The study affects some 418 civilian and military positions in civil engineering, communications, trainer development, instructional training, and the fitness center. More than half are civilian employees, prompting a vow to protest by the American Federation of Government Employees union on the grounds that it took Sheppard far too long to complete the process, which it started in 1999 and which Congress said should only take 30 months or less. A date for the upcoming RIF is still in flux—best guess is late spring or early summer—since base officials say some A-76 actions haven’t been finalized. In at least one area, fitness center and trainer development, requests for bids already have favored the home-team, showing the Sheppard employees to be the most efficient organization, according to an Oct. 1 release. (Sheppard report by George Woodward)
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.