Posted on 06/10/2006 7:31:51 AM PDT by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — Come July, Col. Jonathan Hunter doesn’t know if he will have even half the money he needs to run the garrison for the last three months of the current federal fiscal year.
The garrison commander does know about $16 million is needed for July, August and September. “We’ll be lucky if we get half,” he said.
The situation is so dire that temporary and term civil service employees in the garrison are being cut, civil service people are being offered voluntary early retirement, and vacant positions are not being filled.
Term and temporary employees have no guarantee their jobs are secure, the colonel said.
Civil service jobs must be shown to have a direct need for life, health and safety, or that they are a critical part involving the global war on terrorism, Hunter said.
Fort Huachuca isn’t alone with this problem. Army garrisons are facing tighter budgets because Congress has yet to finalize a multi-billion-dollar supplemental budget request from the president.
Civilian dispatchers going
While some dispatchers fit those needs, the colonel said four jobs were only created two years ago when special funds were made available.
With the cuts, soldiers will have to fill those positions. Hunter said soldiers can handle the job.
A number of e-mails sent to the Herald/Review questioned the decision to eliminate the civilian dispatchers. A week of training is not sufficient, when the civilians had to go through a month of it, one e-mail stated. Another stated military police are being put into dispatcher positions “who are not trained in any way, whatsoever,” and they will be expected to “respond correctly to 911 calls,” which they can’t do. A third e-mail claimed the safety of people on post is being placed into jeopardy with the elimination of the civilian dispatchers.
Contract employees also are facing the budget ax.
Catherine Beekman, business manager and deputy project manager for V.T. Griffin, one of the garrison’s main contractors, said the company is looking at a 40 percent reduction in its contract.
Without saying how many jobs could go, she said, “You can’t have a 40 percent reduction and not affect the number of employees.”
Comment from another main garrison contractor, All Star, was not obtainable, as the office manager was not available.
Contractor workers worried
Two A.T. Griffin employees are preparing to be unemployed.
Christina Sipe has been working for the contractor for about six months. Russell Brown has worked two months longer.
From what they heard, up to 30 employees could be cut, and the reduction will be based on seniority, Sipe said.
“There are only five people who have less (seniority) than me,” she said.
There are six people with less seniority than Brown — Sipe’s five “and her,” as he pointed at his fianc/e.
Both said the company’s management are concerned, and they know A.T. Griffin does not want to give anyone a pink slip.
Waiting for the news is weighing on them and others.
“It’s like my head is in the guillotine and I’m waiting for the blade to drop,” Brown said.
Sipe works in a warehouse issuing supplies. Brown is in the company’s shipping department, sending material all over the world, including to Iraq.
Both saw working for a post contractor as better job security.
They had already gone through a work force reduction with a business in Sierra Vista. They found another job at that time, and they applied to work for the post contractor. If they are laid off again, they’ll be looking for another job.
Approaching 40, they said there were rumors of a potential reduction a few weeks ago, but they thought it wasn’t going to be much.
When he word came down it was probably going to be 40 percent contract cut, “that’s when panic set in,” Sipe said.
Looking at marrying later this year, she said there will probably have to be changes.
“Our wedding plans have been downgraded,” Sipe said.
For Brown, an eight-year Army veteran, this will be his second marriage and he has child-support payments and must provide half the medical insurance payments for his daughter.
If they lose their jobs, unemployment payments will be enough just to get by, they said. By time their rent, utilities, food, gas for a car, which is paid for, car insurance, child support and his share of his daughter’s health insurance is added up, the couple will be lucky to have $50 a month left. They are estimating each will receive state benefits of $200 a week, for a total of about $1,600 a month.
“There will be no money for a flat tire, and God help us if we have a medical emergency,” Sipe said.
Both have some money in the contractor’s 401K plan, which will help tide them over for a little while.
“We are hoping for a miracle, but are bracing for the worst,” she said.
Pennies being counted
Hunter said he knows the tight budget is impacting on good workers, who are critical to the garrison’s mission. But the word came down from higher headquarters that cuts had to be made.
“I don’t have enough for this month (June),” he said.
Some things will continue, such as the building of replacement housing units because those were funded by Congress, Hunter said.
As for the number of civil service employees in the garrison who may be affected and loss jobs, he estimated about 10.
However, there are other civil service employees at other organizations on the post that will lose employees, he said. He has no idea how many civil service employees will be involved.
“The biggest challenge is the hiring freeze (for civil service employees),” Hunter said.
With the new rules it was difficult to receive authority to hire a new air field safety officer, the colonel said.
He estimates the garrison has two dozen civilian positions unfilled that will remain so until the budget improves.
The money situation is so tight that Hunter, who is used to making decisions on spending thousands of dollars, is now looking at items that cost as little as $36.
Just recently he had to take a deep, long look to see if he had enough money in his office budget to pay for the certification inspection of three fire extinguishers in his headquarters building.
And there was a discussion with the post’s senior chaplain to determine if there was $400 to purchase communion wafers for the rest of the year.
The fire extinguishers were inspected, and the wafers purchased.
“We are watching pennies,” Hunter said.
Supplemental request problem
Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, whose district includes the fort, said he believes the military’s budget picture will clear up soon. Much of the problem came about because Congress had not passed the supplemental bill asked for by President George W. Bush, he said.
According to news reports, much of the money is targeted to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Because the supplemental hasn’t passed, the military is reducing costs at installations so funds can be used for the war against terrorism.
The president sought $91.9 billion for a number of emergency operations, but the Senate added $17 billion above what the House approved, leading to an impasse. It now appears the final amount will be $94.5 billion, which will not face a presidential veto.
The House is expected to vote on the compromise supplemental bill next week, Kolbe said.
Some contend contracting services is hurting the military because it is expensive. The congressman disagrees.
“It makes sense for the Department of Defense to seek business-like efficiencies and focus on its core competencies. There’s no reason that administrative functions can’t be performed by civilians so that we have more uniformed military to fight the wars,” he said.
The Army is developing a structured spending plan for the remainder of the year. It is based on anticipated funding, the congressman said.
“The plan will provide explicit guidance to garrison commanders to ensure that installations will be able to operate within adjusted funding levels until funds from the supplemental are available,” Kolbe said.
Hunter said that if the turmoil continues, he and other garrison commanders have already been told they may see smaller amounts in the next fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1.
“The budget process is challenging. It’s frustrating,” the colonel said.
HERALD/REVIEW senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615.
Congressional lazy, no good, incompetent, sorry, sons of Beelzebub!
GRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!
It will be tight regardless. The USAF is cutting flight hours and contractor support positions - and 40,000 military spots.
This is what we get trying to fight a war without paying for it.
This is what we get trying to fight a war with Quislings in Congress
There shouldn't be any job that's not handled by military personnel!
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