Air Force cuts
Hickam workersStructural changes and fewer
funds result in 37 layoffs
The Air Force will lay off 37 civilian workers at Hickam Air Force Base by September as it continues to reorganize the operations at the 15th Airlift Wing and Pacific Air Force Headquarters.
The reduction in force, or RIF, in Hickam's 1,375-member civilian work force is because funding for authorized positions has been cut and the way the Air Force is structured has changed, according to Air Force officials.
Maj. Almarah Belk, Hickam spokeswoman, said the civilian jobs are spread throughout the air base and cover everything from administrative support positions to those in the trades and crafts.
She said that because of the demands of the war on terrorism, the Air Force had more people on the payroll than what was authorized by Congress.
"This spring, the secretary of the Air Force issued a directorate to bring our strength to what the budget authorizes," Belk said.
Air Force officials hope to find these civilian workers jobs in other areas, noting that initially they were supposed to have cut 150 positions but were able to pare it down to 37.
