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Show Uikop Teres April 11, 2002 Tours, speakers highlight Hill's Earth Week HillAFB .I...... mini weather outlook 5-d- ay rni i mining by Charles Freeman Environmental Public Affairs a.m.-noo- www.airfield-op- v los ww eath er k i II . af . mi 1 MHMfllfei 63 High 40 Low Partly cloudy LJ j .'." " . ; n. , - . . t. -' Environmental Management Directorate flic photo As part of Earth Week activities last year, volunteers helped Install a new deck at the base s log cabin. The new expanded deck and a fresh coat of stain was part of the refurbishing project at the cabin. 65' High 44 Low VSIP, VERA Partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy c 61 53 It is possible that two incentives the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay will be used this summer to lessen the impact of upcoming reductions in force caused by the implementation of the most efficient organization. While it isn't yet known whether VERA winor VSIP will be used, a two-wee-k dow to submit applications to participate in this program and to prepare for will possible incentive authorizations High 45 Low Cloudy be offered starting Monday and ending April 26. Applications are available in Bldg. 1244 at the Customer Service Desk. Due to time constraints, this is the only opportunity available for employees to submit - I 'i V wilumi Hi ii C Mm itwwiiiiiiiiiil 58 High 41' Low Mostly cloudy wu1" miia C'jHWm""" 62 High 42 Low Partly cloudy their requests. It is anticipated the employees would need to be willing to separate by Sept 22. Employees are reminded that the VERA and VSIP authorities, during periods of RIF, must be targeted to employees in occupations impacted by the reduction. If VERA or VSIP is approved, employees in the affected occupations will be encouraged to apply for the separation incentive package. Specific occupations impacted by RTF are 0028, 0029, 0086, 0203, 0235, 0301, 0303, 0318, 0332, 0334, 0335, 0342, 0343; 0344, 0346, 0382, 0390, 0401, 0503, 0525, 0560, 0801, 0802, 0819, 0893, 0896, 1060, 1084, 1170, 1173, 1301, 1311, 1320, 1550, 1702, 1712, 1740, 1910, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2152, 2210, 2502, 2606, 2610, 2805, 3359, 3502, 3703, 4701, 4742, 5309, 5402, 5406, 5408, 5703, 5716, 6907 and 6912. If more applications are received than can be approved, first priority will be given Stop-Los- Career office switches to data system RANDOLPH AFB, Texas Civilians interested (AFPN) in applying for specific job posi- tions must now te under the Air Force's Career Program system. The Career Program office, will begin using the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System on April 15, provides a centralized merit promotion system to fill midlevel and senior management positions throughout the Air Force. Career Program registration is no longer required to apply and compete for these positions, said personnel officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here. Permanent Air Force employees do not need to submit a resume with their unless one is requested in the job announcement. Applicants not currently associated with the Air Force are required to submit a resume for employment consideration. Vacancies will be announced through the Civilian Announcement Notification System beginning April 19. People interested in a job must then employment home page or call toll free (800) 997-237- s meets mission requirements from page 1 operations in Southwest Asia. .Some military members have the misperception that s is being used as a manning tool, Middleton said. "Though it's easy to make that assumption," Middleton said, "it is absolutely not true. Manning is certainly one of the factors taken into consideration, but it is looked at in terms of what is needed to meet current mission requirements." s does not mean that service members are prohibited from retiring, separating or being discharged. A waiver Stop-Los- Stop-Los- of stop-los- s status may be granted based on specific circumstances, officials said. "We really want to do right by our service members," Middleton said. "Many families had to put their plans on hold s when was impleWe mented. are grateful for their service and their sacrifices. We are trying to balance their needs with our commitment to operational requirements. "The career fields that we have recommended for release s from are still subject to world events. If world events change significantly, we will have to our decisions." Stop-Los- Stop-Los- For Earth Day 2002, people will come together in communities all over the world to honor our planet and organize environmental activities. Hill AFB will be no exception. Although the national celebration of Earth Day is April 22, Hill's Earth Day committee decided to pay tribute to the environment a week earlier with several activities planned during the week of April 15. The Earth Day theme this year is "Gear Skies and You." Kay Winn, Hill's Earth Week chairman is quick to point out the campaign 'shouldn't be taken for granted. "We just don't pay enough attention to the environment," said Winn. "I think we are beginning to realize how important it is, but we still have a long way to go if we want it to be there for our kids and grandkids." The Environmental Management Directorate will set the tone for the week with a seminar given Rob Petrie and Kyle Gorder, two of the directorate's own environmental engineers, on Monday at 8 a.m. in the Directorate's Jim Vin-in- g conference room, Bldg. 5. Treading lightly in Utah's vast wilderness areas and tips for hiking and backpacking are among the topics for the informal presentation. Other Earth Week activities include Painting: On Tuesday and Wednesday, base personnel are invited to get away from their first-han- Resources program manager, Debbie Hall, speaks with Hill Field Elementary School students and discusses the base's efforts to identify and protect archeological sites on the Utah Test and Training Range. She'll explain Hill's involvement and coordination with the Native American community. Trees: On Friday, the base receives a Tree City USA award from the National Arbor Day Foundation at 11 a.m. Col. David R. Beecroft, 75th Air Base Wing commander, and other base personnel are invited to attend the ceremony at the Log Cabin. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, when approximately 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate on behalf of a healthy sustainable environment The founder was Gaylord Nelson, a former Wisconsin senator. Since then, Earth Day has blossomed into a worldwide campaign with an estimated 200 million people participating from more than 140 nations. application process opens Monday by Tina Lhamon Civilian Personnel Division S desks or shops and help put a fresh coat of stain on the pavilion located south of the Log Cabin. n Work will be from 9 both days. Tours: Students from Northridge High School d visit on April 18 to learn what the base is doing to protect the environment The tour will explain why Hill has a major environmental program in place and allow students to see various projects and cleanup sites managed by the base. Also on April 18, EMs Cultural Employees that separate with VSIP will Authorization still pending to optional retirement eligible, second to early retirement eligible, and then to resignations. Within separation categories, priority will be ranked in order of seniority using the leave service computation date. There is no guarantee that everyone who applies for VERA or VSIP will be approved. To be eligible to separate with VSIP, Department of Defense Priority Placement Program; all federal employment specific RTF separation notice and employpermanent or temporary for five ees who resign or retire "in lieu of invol- years unless they repay the entire amount untary action" aren't eligible for separation of incentive (pre-ta- x amount) ; pay. Exceptions may be granted on a with DoD for one year from date of basis. 18 month-poseparation pay, employer-paiIf electing to separate under optional health insurance separation group or early retirement, employees must meet options available to involuntary separated the age and years of service requirements employees (health coverage retirees are for retirement eligibility by the effective normally entitled to is retained if they are date of their retirement approved to separate as a retiree). Any If an employee meets the requirements other offers of separation pay and incenfor the early retirement the following will tive pay shall not be included in the comalso apply. putation of any other type of benefit Employees must have been on the IfVERAVSIPis used, the Civilian Peragency's rolls for a continuous 31 days sonnel Office will determine approval and before the date of the requested authorqualified employees will receive a letter ity was requested; to advise them of their selection and Temporary and term employees are separation paperwork will be completed precluded from receipt of VERA. at this time. A signed agreement, stating Employees servmgimdertime-lim- die employee is willing to remain until the ited appointments, or employees that are projected Sept 22 exit date wffl be required. receiving involuntary separation for misRetirement computations will only be conduct or unsatisfactory performance, offered after the employee has been conwon't be given VERA offers. tacted by letter. Employees must be ready The employee may not be serving to make a separation decision upon reviewunder a temporary or term appointment ing the computation so that if they decline, Since separations will be limited to the there will be time to offer the separation targeted series identified by the MEO to the next senior person. annual reductions, saving The workload associated with any VERA leave in anticipation ofa posable'ERAVSIP or VSIP offering is voluminous and time approval won't justify restoration of leave. consuming. To help the personnel comIf you haven't separated, leave in excess munity handle this offer as efficiently as of allowable carryover ceilings is forfeited possible, it's requested that phone calls at tte end of the current leave year. Employonly be made for process clarification. ees should continue to schedule and More information on developments use leave without regard to the pending with this offering, and announcement VERAVSJPrequest of the approval or disapproval for using Submitting an application doesn't guarVERAVSIP, will be published as it antee or imply VSIP or VERA approval becomes available. case-by-ca- se d employees: Must be serving under an appointment without time limitation, and must have been employed by the federal government for a continuous period of at least 12 months. May not be a annuitant and May not have a pending or approved application for disability retirement May not meet series and grade eligibility by being on a temporary detail or promotion to a participating series and grade. be INELIGBLE for enrollment in the ; 1 May not beoccupyingaposMon defined as hard to fill. May not be receiving dual compensation under a waiver or May not be receiving a retention allowance or May not be covered by a written service agreement resulting from permanent change of station, training or receipt of a recruitment or relocation bonus; or May not be occupying a position for which special salary rates are approved. Employees may not have already accepted a position with another federal agency. Employees may not be in receipt of a "use-or-los- e" . Tuesday exercise testing readiness a by 2nd Lt. Garrett Grochowski Hilltop Times staff In an effort to strengthen and improve the relationship In order to mount a rapid response to between Hill AFB's emergency services and their civilian counterparts, the Hill AFB Inspector General's Office is this accident, we'll have the Davis conducting a Major Accident Response Exercise Tuesday. The exercise takes place on State Road 193, south of the County sheriff, ambulance service and runway. Its goal is to help save lives in the event of an actual fire department along with Hill's emergency at Hill AFB or its neighboring communities. "This is going to be a challenging scenario. We're going Security Forces and fire department to have an 6 fuselage on the side of Fort Lane, as well as some aircraft parts, like fins, and an engine scattered throughdeployed to the crash site. out the crash site," said Senior Master Sgt. Larry Williams, Superintendent for the IG's Exercise Management Office. "It's going to be very realistic. We're going to have smoke generators placed near the fuselage and cars, which the Sheriff's department will bring down." Senior Master Sgt. Larry Williams In the exercise's scenarios there are multiple injury victims located both on and off the base. Hill members playing injured victims and the medical staff all comprise the 12 people. Seven volunteer exercise casualties will go to y aspect of the MARE. the base clinic and five will be transported to the Davis HosA y exercise is a simulation where at least 10 pital. people go through the base clinic, or Davis Hospital and "Due to where the plane crashes there will be six people Medical Center if the exercise has more casualties than the injured outside the base," Williams said. "In order to mount clinic can support. a rapid response to this accident, we'll have the Davis County y "The purpose of a exercise is to test the sheriff, ambulance service and fire department along memorandum of understanding with Davis Hospital and with Hill's Forces and fire department deployed make sure they can fulfill their roles and responsibilities in at the crashSecurity site. Upon arriving they will immethe event of an actual disaster," Williams said. diately begin putting up cordons and accessing the situaThe MARE ensures that key organizations at Hill, espe- tion. We'll also have environmental management personnel cially the Disaster Control Group and Battle Staff, have the and some of Hill's fire department remain on base to conopportunity to practice their roles so if there are any glitches tain the situation at Bldg. 590." in the lines of communication between Hill and Davis To maintain the highest possible disaster readiness levCounty authorities, we will find them through this exercise rather els, Hill AFB conducts at least one MARE per year in than during a real emergency, according to Williams. ' cooperation with Davis County authorities, Williams said. During the MARE, Fort Lane is blocked starting at the Since the exercise takes place both on and off base, base State Road 193 intersection, Williams said. officials encourage everyone's support and patience in allowThis specific scenario has an crashing off the end of ing Security Forces and response teams to the runway hitting three cars and sliding through the fence respond to the situation inemergency a safe and expeditious manner. line and onto SR 193. Prior to the crash, the afterburner Questions about the MARE can be directed to the Public section of the aircraft blows of f and hits Bldg. 590, injuring Airairs ottice at Ext.7-520F-1- over-turne- d mass-casualt- mass-casualt- mass-casualt- on-scen- e, F-1- st 6 1. |