FY 14 Force Management Program (RIF, VSP, TERA)

[HeloDude]

From the CMSgt PSDM:

Emphasis added.

So the Chiefs are now getting 'Chiefed'?

[GlassEmpty]

What happens to voluntary separation pay (the actual money) if a person is picked up by a Guard or Reserve unit after separating? Do you get to keep the money or does the AF take it back?

What are some tricks for keeping the tax bill low? For instance, could the VSP push someone out of Roth IRA eligibility?

How much money will I be able to contribute to my 401(k) and IRA in 2014?

The income limits determining who can contribute to Roth IRAs are increasing very slightly. You can contribute to a Roth IRA in 2014 only if your adjusted gross income is less than $129,000 if single or $191,000 if married filing jointly. (The amount that you can contribute starts to decline -- or phase out -- for singles earning more than $114,000 and couples earning more than $181,000.)

Your VSP will be considered a bonus I believe. You'll be out within half the year anyway so it shouldn't make much difference, especially if you were deployed earlier in the year. If you get pay to leave AD, you get the money. Not sure if you can palace chase but unless they add more rules, you get to keep what they give you. Thats my logic at least.

[DUNBAR]

I just spoke to the Personnel Chief for the Air Force for my entire Staff Agency (we're joint) and she said she is getting tons of calls from Commanders/supervisors, but she has no clue as to what is coming other than what everyone else has read in the original release. She is quite connected on the personnel side and said the most info she can get is that based on the programs they are looking at approx 90% of the entire AF is potentially eligible for at least one of these Force Shaping measures if they implement all of the ones on the original release. In just the 5 min conversation I could tell she was pretty frustrated with the lack of info coming down as well as the timing (I think she is getting lots of "shoot the messenger" from Generals and SES types). She had heard the same thing that has been posted here that there was supposed to be some more info released tomorrow, but said that was only through friends at AFPC (i.e. nothing official). Doing it on the Thurs before lots of people start Christmas leave is not only like the late Friday afternoon White House press dump (hoping nobody will pay attention to the bad news), but it essentially cuts out two weeks for some of the expected short suspenses on whatever the first programs will be. Not that this should be surprising, but she said that she's been telling Commanders that if they have anyone with a referral EPR/OPR in their record (mentioned failed PT tests) that they would be low hanging fruit. I've been able to get some inside baseball on personnel stuff from her in the past and she is a pretty straight shooter, so if she says she doesn't have a clue as to what is coming then I think we are in for quite the roller coaster ride in the next month or two.

Thanks for posting all of that; appreciate all the info because none of this makes any sense to me. At the risk of regurgitating my previous post:

1. According to the AF Times, based on our expected authorized end strength, we need to shed 1,900 personnel this year, which is approximately one half of one percent of the AF.

2. In order to achieve this 0.5% reduction, we have disseminated a force shaping policy that has 90% of the AF wondering if they're going to be shown the door.

Hunger Games, indeed.

[Catbox]

Thanks for posting all of that; appreciate all the info because none of this makes any sense to me. At the risk of regurgitating my previous post:

1. According to the AF Times, based on our expected authorized end strength, we need to shed 1,900 personnel this year, which is approximately one half of one percent of the AF.

2. In order to achieve this 0.5% reduction, we have disseminated a force shaping policy that has 90% of the AF wondering if they're going to be shown the door.

Hunger Games, indeed.

And essentially killed any non-flying productivity in the process. Everyone I know is sitting around gossiping, constantly checking mypers, AF times and BO.net for any words whatsoever before most of us go on leave.

[Skitzo]

Townhall meetings at KHRT tomorrow. Hopefully some specifics.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Warrior]

From the CMSgt PSDM:

Emphasis added.

When's the last time a chief got an epr with less than a 5? Maybe 2 in the whole AF this year? For diddling the wrong chick?

[pitts2112]

Doing your ######ing job well makes a difference.

You didn't go through this in the 90s, did you? (sarcasm mode on)

[MC5Wes]

I took the VSP in 92. Just retired from the Reserves in July. I was told that when I turned 60 they would start taking out 40 percent of my retirement till the recoupment is done.

www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/newsevents/news/separationrecoupmentfaqs.html

[MSCguy]

I took the VSP in 92. Just retired from the Reserves in July. I was told that when I turned 60 they would start taking out 40 percent of my retirement till the recoupment is done.

www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/newsevents/news/separationrecoupmentfaqs.html

That's assuming DFAS actually keeps up with your debt. I was kicked out of NROTC in 2005 3 months before graduation and owed four years of out of state tuition. I did some AF enlisted reserve time and finally came on AD and got commissioned this year. The navy said I had to call DFAS regarding liquidation of my debt because of my AF service, and today DFAS told me they have no records whatsoever of the scholarship money I owed them.

[ThreeHoler]

When's the last time a chief got an epr with less than a 5? Maybe 2 in the whole AF this year? For diddling the wrong chick?

Any EPR in their career that is less than a 5 overall.

[WABoom]

Any EPR in their career that is less than a 5 overall.

That's bullshit. ^^^^^^^^^^

Sq/cc briefed today EPR Quotas were coming in 2014. Only 5% get 5's, 20% 4's, and 75% for the rest. All EPR's will closeout on the same day as well. FML

Edited December 19, 2013 by WABoom

[MooseAg03]

So VSP payment has to be repaid eventually through retirement pay if you jump to guard/reserve, what about RIF payments? I would hope if you are involuntarily separated they would not make you pay back the compensation for choosing to join a reserve component.

[MSCguy]

That's bullshit. ^^^^^^^^^^

Sq/cc briefed today EPR Quotas were coming in 2014. Only 5% get 5's, 20% 4's, and 75% for the rest. All EPR's will closeout on the same day as well. FML

What level are those quotas going to be enforced at? That's not unlike the way they do promotion recs for O4 and up, but I can't imagine that senior raters are going to enjoy doing the equivalent of a MLR on thousands of EPRs every single year. If it's left up to the squadrons the good old boy network will get stronger.

[Learjetter]

All EPR's will closeout on the same day as well. FML

Unpossible.

[TOML]

I would hope it is all EPRs of the same grade are due on the same day. That is possible and is how the Navy does it for O's and E's. The Navy's eval system has its idiosyncrasies and work arounds but that part makes sense.

[Shut up 'n color]

My buddy went to his base wide force shaping brief. It was said there that this would be a first-come first-served basis. Can anyone confirm that? Because that contradicts the Force Shaping Question/Answer doc that was published last week.

[pawnman]

Thanks for posting all of that; appreciate all the info because none of this makes any sense to me. At the risk of regurgitating my previous post:

1. According to the AF Times, based on our expected authorized end strength, we need to shed 1,900 personnel this year, which is approximately one half of one percent of the AF.

2. In order to achieve this 0.5% reduction, we have disseminated a force shaping policy that has 90% of the AF wondering if they're going to be shown the door.

Hunger Games, indeed.

1,900? Our WG/CC briefed we're looking to cut 5,000 officers and 20,000 enlisted.

[MC5Wes]

So a force reduction of 1900 has everyone's panties in a bunch, why? Or is the answer you're looking for a way out?

I would kill to get one of the 900 Civilian VERA/VSIP spots.

[AwShoot1209]

At the risk of reposting info...

We had a wing/cc call yesterday to address all the reduction programs for 2014. We were told a total cut of 25,000 personnel: roughly 20,000 enlisted and 5,000 officer (which sounds proportional...mebe). I don't know where to fact check this, but the cc mentioned that's a 7-8% reduction in force. Kaboom.

Other mentionables: cc's should be notified of their folks' eligibility 19 dec, and everyone notified of their eligibility on 20 dec. Eligibility = vsp, rif, early retirement, and a couple other programs I can't remember. All of these programs will run almost concurrently starting in January 2014, with board results for most programs out in June/July 2014.

Check your records to make sure you got credit for organizing the sq Christmas party.

[Shut up 'n color]

All of these programs will run almost concurrently starting in January 2014, with board results for most programs out in June/July 2014.

Any word on how the DOS would be established? Is that decided upon by AFPC or the member?

[AwShoot1209]

All the dates are from a slide showing 2014 month by month. I'll try to find it and post it. From memory, the dos for most programs will be dec 2014, but no one mentioned if that's an AF-directed deadline or just what afpc expects to happen based on the timing of the June/July notifications.

[C-21.Pilot]

Here is the slideshow:

https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil/ci/fattach/get/3050235/1386790549/redirect/1/filename/Force%20Management%20Program%20Initial%20Timeline%20%28Final%29%2011%20Dec%2013.pdf

Once again, the RIF is after the VSP. If you play your cards and don't get selected for VSP, then what?

[BitteEinBit]

Here is the slideshow:

https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil/ci/fattach/get/3050235/1386790549/redirect/1/filename/Force%20Management%20Program%20Initial%20Timeline%20%28Final%29%2011%20Dec%2013.pdf

Once again, the RIF is after the VSP. If you play your cards and don't get selected for VSP, then what?

They will know who wants to get out and then they will RIF you for less money. Same with 15-year TERA....they'll deny you the 15 year retirement and VSP after you show your cards, and then RIF you for less money. It is all about cost savings...

I'm being only half serious here...but I'll bet my other nut that it will happen to SOMEONE during this drawdown.

Here is the slideshow:

https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil/ci/fattach/get/3050235/1386790549/redirect/1/filename/Force%20Management%20Program%20Initial%20Timeline%20%28Final%29%2011%20Dec%2013.pdf

I really like how they used the "Christmas" theme for the slideshow....Christmas Trees, Stars, and Snowflakes. Nice touch. "Merry Christmas everyone....you're fu*king fired!"

[HeloDude]

The real question is how will the bonus play into this whole mix?

[Spaceballs]

At the risk of reposting info...

We had a wing/cc call yesterday to address all the reduction programs for 2014. We were told a total cut of 25,000 personnel: roughly 20,000 enlisted and 5,000 officer (which sounds proportional...mebe). I don't know where to fact check this, but the cc mentioned that's a 7-8% reduction in force. Kaboom.

Other mentionables: cc's should be notified of their folks' eligibility 19 dec, and everyone notified of their eligibility on 20 dec. Eligibility = vsp, rif, early retirement, and a couple other programs I can't remember. All of these programs will run almost concurrently starting in January 2014, with board results for most programs out in June/July 2014.

Check your records to make sure you got credit for organizing the sq Christmas party.

That's coming up so quickly. Edited December 19, 2013 by Cgjohnst