Air Force announces force structure changes for FY 2011

  • Published
  • By Derek Kaufman
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Air Force announced May 11 proposed force structure realignments for fiscal year 2011. For Wright-Patterson's workforce, the total impact is an increase of 953 civilian, an increase of 279 military, and a decrease of 32 Air Force Reserve Command part-time "drill" military authorizations.

The Air Force-wide announcement outlines the civilian and military personnel changes and reassignment of aircraft at bases across the Air Force during the federal fiscal year which begins Oct. 1, 2010. The vast majority of changes taking place reflect previously announced programmatic decisions being implemented to support the FY11 President's budget submission, officials said.

For instance at Wright-Patt, the changes reflect FY11 moves directed by BRAC 2005 decisions, contractor-to-civilian conversions supporting implementation the Air Force's ongoing acquisition improvement plan, and the retirement of some 445th Airlift Wing C-5s as the wing begins its transition to the newer C-17 airlifter.

"These management actions will help us perform missions more efficiently across the board," said Lt. Gen. Tom Owen, commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center. "Continued emphasis on our nuclear enterprise, recapitalizing our acquisition workforce, building our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability, and providing some needed relief to stressed career fields are all reflected in these actions."

Included in the Wright-Patterson numbers is a gain of 435 civilian positions resulting from contractor-to-civilian conversions. Many are related to the initiative recently announced by Secretary of Defense to increase the size of the Defense Department's in-house government acquisition workforce by some 20,000 over the next five years.

Aeronautical Systems Center will increase by 87 civilian positions due to Acquisition Excellence resource realignments. ASC will also increase by 51 civilian positions as a result of Air Force Materiel Command's Organizational Consolidation & Workload Alignment effort focused on eliminating duplication of effort and developing "core competencies and centers of gravity within AFMC," according to the announcement. ASC will also see an increase of nine civilian positions related to ISR adjustments. The product center will also decrease by four military and increase by four civilian positions due to military-to-civilian conversions.

Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command gains 26 civilian positions due to Acquisition Excellence resource realignments and decreases by two military and increases by two civilian positions due to military-to-civilian conversions.

Previously announced Base Realignment and Closure 2005 decisions will bring a net increase of more than 1,100 authorizations to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The FY 2011 force structure announcement shows BRAC implementation proceeding rapidly with the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks City Base, Texas moving 268 military and 138 civilian positions to Wright-Patt next year as a result of defense health program realignment.

Additional defense health program adjustments for the 711th Human Performance Wing directed by BRAC will increase 31 military and 72 civilian positions and decreases on military position and increases one civilian position due to military-to-civilian conversions.

The 445th Airlift Wing is scheduled to replace its 10 C-5 Galaxy aircraft with eight C-17s.  The first four C-17s will arrive in FY11 following the retirement of five C-5As.  As a result, the Reserve wing will decrease by one air reserve technician position and decrease 45 part-time drill positions. The 445th Security Forces Squadron will gain 13 drill positions due to security forces manpower requirements.

Other FY11 force structure impacts to Wright-Patt include:
  • National Air & Space Intelligence Center increases by 17 positions as a result of command and control (C2) program implementation; and decreases by ten military positions and increases by ten civilian positions as a result of continuing to strengthen the Air Force's Nuclear Enterprise. ISR adjustments result in an increase of 34 civilian positions. 
  • Air Force Financial Center decreases by one military position due to miscellaneous program adjustments. 
  • Air Force Legal Operations Agency increases by two military positions as a result of defense health program adjustments and increases by one civilian as a result of Medical Cost Recovery mission consolidation. 
  • Air Force Research Laboratory increases by one civilian position in support of financial management mission realignment; and decreases by three military positions and increases by three civilian positions in support of military-to-civilian conversions. 
  • Air Force Institute of Technology increases by one military and seven civilian positions in support of Nuclear Enterprise and Cyber Technology education. 
  • Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency increases by five civilian positions due to ISR adjustments. 
  • The Light Combined IW System program office increases by 25 civilian positions. 
  • The Electronic Systems Center operating location at Wright-Patt increases by 31 civilian positions due to Acquisition Excellence resource realignments. 
  • The 88th Air Base Wing decreases by one military position and eight civilian positions due to Acquisition Excellence resource realignments; and increases by four civilian positions as a result of the Fitness Assessment Cell. 
  • The base decreases one military position and one civilian position due to Acquisition Excellence resource realignments.
Air Force wide the FY11 personnel changes include over 13,000 personnel including nearly 2,450 active duty, 9,200 civilians, 1,300 Air Force Reserve and 220 Air National Guard positions. Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, said the changes are designed to make more efficient use of Air Force resources, benefiting the mission and taxpayers.

For a complete listing of service force structure changes visit: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123204035.