VERA/VSIP goals realized Published Nov. 7, 2008 By Office of Public Affairs 78 ABW ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- When base officials first announced that it would use VERA/VSIP authority to help meet its goal of reducing or restructuring 208 civilian positions for overhead employees in the 402nd Maintenance Wing, they felt pretty confident that it would work out. It did. In late September, civilian overhead employees in the wing were offered an early retirement option and a cash incentive to retire or resign through the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Program. The offer was given to help meet budgetary thresholds and the need to reduce or restructure production overhead jobs to become better postured for future workloads. Originally, officials received 258 applications and made 147 offers to eligible employees. Of those, 106 employees accepted the offer. Following a second round of offers in conjunction with strategic placements on MXW and Center vacancies, the base is only 54 positions short of its goal. "We are very pleased with this outcome," said Mary Larralde, Personnel director. "We will meet our goals through outplacement into center-wide vacancies which already exist or as a result of normal attrition. That's great news." Ms. Larralde credited the maintenance wing for its hard work to help achieve the goal. "The maintenance wing made a lot of progress and moved us closer to our goal," said Larralde. "Our target will be met without further offers or involuntary separations." Although the wing received sufficient amounts in the majority of the targeted overhead series, some people didn't receive offers because they were not assigned to overhead positions; they were assigned to direct positions, explained Marian Fraley, 402nd MXW vice director. The distinction between overhead and direct work is made in accordance with standard maintenance practices and governing rules. Basically, Ms. Fraley explained, employees assigned on overhead positions have an indirect impact on actual production workload, while those assigned to the direct category have a direct impact on production workload. Those applicants occupying positions identified as "direct" are therefore not eligible for the offer. "We cannot allow all employees to receive the buy-out if doing so would adversely affect the mission capability," Ms. Fraley said. "We're asking our employees who were not eligible nor extended offers to understand that the VERA/VSIP was used to meet budgetary thresholds, improve efficiency and reduce or restructure production overhead to better posture us for future workloads," Ms. Fraley said. Employees who have accepted the offer will be contacted by a personnel specialist to attend a retirement session within the next few weeks. The sessions will be conducted during mid November and December.