Community and business leaders receive update on Sequestration

jclark@sunmulti.com

Last week, the across-the-board federal budget cuts, known

as Sequestration, were signed into law, leaving the community surrounding Robins

Air Force Base questioning how the cuts will affect the base.

“No one in this room knows what will happen next week or

next month,” stated 21^st Century Partnership CEO Gen. (retired) Bob

McMahon during a presentation on the sequester Wednesday at the Houston Lakes

Cinema.

Community and business leaders filled the theater to listen

to base officials and School Superintendent Robin Hines speak about the cuts

and what will happen in the future.

“The bottom line is, these (cuts) are having a negative impact,”

stated Col. Mitchel Butikofer, the Commander of the 78^th Air Base

Wing.

Butikofer reviewed the tentative timeline regarding

furloughs for civilian employees on base. The furlough proposal notices could

be served from March 21 to 25, the employee reply period ends between March 28

and April 1, the furlough decision letters could be served between March 29

through April 24 and the furlough period begins on April 25, according to a

slide in the presentation that detailed the tentative timeline.

He stated that the furloughs “don’t begin until the end of

April,” and will be taken before September. Around 15,000 employees could be

furloughed up to 22 days. Other details on the furlough are unknown.

Because of the cuts, flying hours will be reduced by 18

percent and there will be a reduction in base operations, quality of life

programs and services and maintenance, said base officials.

Brig. Gen. Cedric George, the Commander of the Warner Robins

Air Logistics Complex, said the complex would see a reduction in 28 aircraft.

The 177 aircraft inductions were cut to 149, he said.

“This means a million hours of workload (will) not come in

the depot in the third and fourth quarter,” he said.

Other base officials gave an overview of what is expected to

happen. Included in the over view is the civilians that face being furloughed

and the cut back on the individual missions.

There are assistance programs in place for base employees if

they need it due to the impact of the furloughs.

Hines also spoke about the school system in Houston County

because, he said, the system receives $25.7 million. Of the funding $10 million

is for food, which will not be cut, but the rest will.

Hines assured that the system will remain “world class and

produce high achieving students no matter what.”

At the end of the event, McMahon called for mental health

professionals and clergy to continue helping those in the community and for businesses

to dedicate Thursday’s as “Federal Employee Appreciation Day.”

HHJ News