JBER town hall Q, A

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ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Editor's note: These are questions that were asked and answered at the joint basing town hall meetings Oct. 21 and 22.

Answers to these questions may vary between appropriated fund employees and non-appropriated fund employees.

In these cases, we have differentiated between the two by using "APF" to represent appropriated fund and "NAF" to represent non-appropriated fund.

Appropriated fund employees are the employees in pay plans designated GS, WG, WL, WS and NSPS pay plans beginning in Y (YA, YC, etc). Non-appropriated fund employees are the employees in pay plans NF, NA, NL, NS and CY employees.
This is the final of four planned articles to answer town hall questions.

Q: What is the difference between the Army and Air Force retirement plans?

A: There is no difference for APF employees.
However, there are differences in the NAF retirement, NAF 401K. These differences will be covered in a NAF Benefits town hall to help you understand and make an informed decision on your NAF benefits.

Q: What about the old CSRS credits that fell off display on the LES years ago but still apply for retirement?

A: When a civil service employee changes pay roll offices (which will be the case in March 2011 after Army employees transfer to the joint base), the cumulative retirement contributions that are viewable on your leave and earnings statement will reset. The record of the amount you have contributed to your retirement will be forwarded to the Office of Personnel Management until such time as you retire (OPM adjudicates your retirement) or if you choose to resign and withdraw your contributions. It is always a good idea to retain a copy of your last Leave and Earning Statement received when you are moving between agencies.

Q: Will the alternate work schedule be available after I become an Air Force employee?

A: Alternative work schedules are used in many Air Force organizations. If changes to an alternative work schedule are required, we will have to go through the same process of notifying the union of changes for bargaining unit employees and possible negotiations that we would have to do anytime we make a change to conditions of employment.

Q: Will full time employees remain at 40 hours a week?

A: Yes.

Q: Why aren't we moving to a joint personnel system?

A: The BRAC law that established the joint bases provided that one service would be the lead -- in our case, it is the Air Force. Part of the law was that the supported employees (in this case Army) would become part of the supporting organization -- Air Force.

Q: Will the return rights of Army civilian personnel that have return rights to a position in the Lower 48 be transferred to JBER?

A: Yes. The Joint Base HR supplemental guidance issued by DoD, identified return rights rules. Also, the JBER HR implementation plan has a line item about retaining information necessary to manage employee return rights and other entitlements.

Q: For vicinity travel pay -- if authorized by my supervisor, does this mean that if it is in my job description it is authorized? Why would I need further authorization from my supervisor?

A: To be eligible for vicinity travel pay, you have to be required to use your personal vehicle for the travel. If a government vehicle is available and you choose, for your own personal convenience, to take your POV, then reimbursement is not authorized.

Q: The evaluation period for the Army TAPES Senior system ends Oct. 30, 2010. Will we get an evaluation? If so, who will do them?

A: Your current Army supervisor will need to complete an early annual evaluation with the performance period ending Sept. 30, 2010, just prior to FOC.

Q: What personnel office will service the Army Support Agency?

A: The Alaska Civilian Personnel Advisory Center will remain an Army organization and will service the ASA as well as other Army organizations that will remain on Fort Richardson.

Q: How will the Army Regional Contracting employees be affected? Who makes the determination what employees will go to the joint base? What happens to the employees that do not transfer to JBER?

A: We do not know the answer to this question at this time. More information on this will be provided later.

Q: How will the seasonal jobs be handled in summer time positions?

A: The joint base implementation will not affect how seasonal positions are hired.

Q: What is going to happen to the employees that have been detailed to the JBER team after the new wing stands up? Will they be given jobs on the staff or sent back to the jobs they came from?

A: When the details are terminated, the employees will return to the position they held prior to being detailed to the Joint Installation Office.