The U.S. Air Force announced June 8, that 62 civil service employees at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance & Regeneration Group have accepted voluntary retirements.
The announcement came during a meeting that included Col. Allan Day, commander of the 309th Maintenance Wing, and Col. Patrick Kumashiro, commander of the 309th AMARG, local government, and community representatives at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Other participants in the meeting included representatives from Sen. John McCain’s office, the Southern Arizona Office of Gov. Jan Brewer, Pima County’s Strategic Planning Office and Community Services Department, Arizona Department of Economic Security, and the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee.
Participants in the meeting were briefed regarding AMARG’s current and future workload requirements and the plan to align its workforce accordingly. They were told that AMARG’s workforce resizing activities include participation in the Air Force’s Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay program, as well as the expiration of two maintenance contracts during FY2012.
As the Department of Defense designated site for storage and preservation, reclamation, regeneration, and disposal of aerospace assets, the Air Force has reported that AMARG’s core workload remains relatively stable. At times, according to Air Force officials, AMARG takes on overflow depot maintenance workload when the primary sources of repair require additional assistance.
According to Air Force representatives, the requirement for overflow depot maintenance capacity is projected to diminish over the next couple years due to several factors, including:
- Maintenance efficiencies gained throughout the Air Force Materiel Command have been reduced for depot maintenance requirements on current legacy aircraft.
- Recent modifications to aircraft such as the installation of new wings on A-10 aircraft have reduced depot maintenance requirements.
- A transition from regenerating QF-4 aircraft to regenerating QF-16 aircraft at AMARG beginning in FY2013 will require reduced man-hours.
According to Air Force officials, current workload projections show that AMARG is managing its workforce through the scheduled expiration of current maintenance contracts and leveraging Air Force voluntary retirement programs.
