Military reduces furlough days.

Sierra Vista Herald ^ | Bill Hess

[SandRat]

FORT HUACHUCA — Department of Defense civil service employees received good news Tuesday when they were informed nearly half of the furlough days they expected to have to take before the end of September were cut.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said instead of 11 days taken without pay it would be reduced to six, meaning civil service employees working for the military will not have to take five days off sans salary.

So, instead of the employees facing a 20 percent loss of pay from July 9 to Sept. 30, the cut will be slightly more than 10 percent.

Angle Camara, the Fort Huachuca Public Affairs Officer said the post’s “civilian employees have demonstrated the Army value of selfless service as they’ve continued to support the nation and its service members during this time of furlough. The reduction in furlough days

announced by the Secretary of Defense today is a welcome relief.”

The fort has about 3,000 civil service employees working for the military.

In his memo, Hagel noted, “When I announced furloughs on May 14, I promised that we would try to reduce the number of days.”

In early May the DoD faced a shortfall of $11 billion in its operating budget he said.

The 11 days of furlough would have saved $2 billion and Congress approved a large reprogramming request which DoD submitted in mid-May “giving us the flexibility to move funds across accounts,” the defense secretary said.

By shifting savings, to include those involving furloughs the highest priorities of the defense establishment will be met, Hagel said.

Not only will there be a reduction in the furlough days there will be “modest improvements in training and readiness,” he said.

The goal is to have all employees to complete the six required furlough days by Aug. 17, according to the memo.

Noting the required furloughs — Hagel’s memo only covers the Department of Defense and is not applicable to civil service employees in other federal agencies — has financially impacted the defense department’s civilian employees, he said, “I regret the difficulties they and their families had to face during this furlough period.”

Camara said while furlough days have been reduced from 11 to six, other budgetary constraints will continue.

“At this time no overtime will be allowed,” she said.

[Future Snake Eater]

I work with a lot of civilians. A large number of them are furloughed. The entire post grinds to a halt every Monday and Friday due to furloughs. These people are not union. I don’t know where you get “union” out of “civil service employees.”

[Cyber Liberty]

The entire post grinds to a halt every Monday and Friday due to furloughs.

That's how you can tell the DoD does that on purpose, to "make it hurt." In the private sector, companies usually rotate the furlough days to minimize the disruption to the business. Obastard gave one order for "sequestration:" Make the cuts as painful to the public as you can. That goes double for the military. Locking out the entire population from the PX is a great way to do that.

[SuperLuminal]

What a shame...Would have hoped they would increase the furlough days to 355-days..Still would have left more-than-enough time to accomplish any tasks that go with the job...

[Future Snake Eater]

There’s no doubt it’s on purpose. At the unit level, we have to make it work somehow, but DoD can play the budget tantrum game all they want.