The pace at which soldiers are leaving the Army has increased at Fort Benning, Ga., this year, as the Maneuver Center of Excellence already has topped its total of 4,300 separations in 2012. Last year about 150 soldiers left each month, but now more than 200 service members are leaving the military per month, said Eddie Perez, the post’s transition services manager …
The wait is almost over for nine candidate bases vying to host the Air Force’s new KC-46A tankers. By June 1, the Air Force is expected to announce its preferred base for each of three categories — main operating and training bases led by active-duty units, and a main operating base led by a National Guard unit. In Wichita, Kan., the home of McConnell AFB, community leaders are hoping the base is chosen in one of the two active-base categories it is vying …
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s announcement Tuesday that civilian employees would be forced to take 11 days of unpaid leave during the last three months of the fiscal year provided exceptions for significant segments of the workforce, including workers at DOD schools and the Navy’s four public shipyards. About 11,000 teachers, aides and other workers at DOD Education Activity schools will be limited to a maximum of five days of furloughs, which will be taken at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year …
The House Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee marked up the first spending bill for fiscal 2014 on Wednesday, but it still is unclear how the two chambers will clear individual spending bills and bring them to conference this year, reports CQ. The hurdle is the wide chasm between the House and Senate over the FY 2014 topline for discretionary spending …
In many instances following the closure of an Army installation during BRAC 2005, facilities were not maintained adequately to support reuse, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. Community officials told the agency that the Army did not always maintain the facilities to their expectations, resulting in facility deterioration …
Kevin Geiss, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, last week was recognized as a finalist for the Partnership for Public Service 2013 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America award. Geiss was nominated to receive the Management Excellence medal, which recognizes a federal employee for demonstrating superior leadership and management excellence through a significant contribution to the nation that exemplifies efficient, effective and results-oriented government …
Merced County would have an easier time selling parcels at the former Castle Air Force Base, under legislation making its way to the floor of the California Senate. The elimination of redevelopment agencies in California in 2011 has prevented the county from directly selling parcels at the site, located about 100 miles east of San Jose, to interested companies. Without that authority, the county now is forced to hold a public auction, a process which can discourage firms from moving to the site …
The House’s draft fiscal 2014 military construction-veterans affairs spending bill calls for spending $9.9 billion on military construction and family housing programs, a $646 million reduction from the enacted level for FY 2013. After accounting for sequestration, though, only an estimated $8.8 billion is available for those programs this year. Overall, the draft bill provides $73.3 billion, a $1.4 billion increase above this year’s enacted level …
Many of the Pentagon’s 800,000 civilian workers will be forced to take 11 days of unpaid leave by Sept. 30, three fewer days than employees had been expecting, after officials determined that the ability to reprogram funds into DOD’s operations and maintenance accounts earlier this year provided sufficient flexibility to reduce the number of furlough days. Employees will take one furlough day per week beginning July 8, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday during a town hall meeting at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. …
Providing additional planning data identifying where military personnel and their families live and establishing a long-term civilian point of contact at an installation are two changes that would help defense communities better prepare for mission growth in future BRAC rounds, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. While officials at growth installations exchanged planning information with their host communities concerning projected changes in military and civilian personnel, and school-age children, community officials interviewed by the congressional watchdog agency said they needed more specific information …