USAF cuts civilian force

The Air Force has announced a plan to reduce 1,000 civilian positions as part of an effort to save money and "rebalance" its civilian workforce.

The service conducted a needs assessment in early August, identifying more than 1,000 workforce "overages" across 48 installations, according to a Jan. 7 press release. Individual installations will have the opportunity to utilize reduction-in-force authority, which means they could move some of the affected employees into new positions. However, replacement is not guaranteed.

"The remaining employees will be offered registration in the DOD Priority Placement Program and receive consideration for future vacancies according to their registration," the release continues.

In a separate Jan. 7 press release, the American Federation of Government Employees called the Air Force's plan "an ill-conceived action."

"The Air Force says it's laying off employees to meet congressionally required cuts in the size of the civilian workforce," the release states. "However, it appears that none of the work currently performed by these employees is going away."