FORT BENNING, Ga., (Feb. 11, 2015) -- The Maneuver Center of Excellence held a town hall meeting for its TRADOC employees on the topic of personnel reductions Feb. 4 at McGinnis-Wickam Hall's Marshall Auditorium.
Post leaders and human resources representatives spoke to a nearly full house about the projected reductions and what the MCoE and TRADOC are doing to mitigate the impact on employees.
Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, MCoE and Fort Benning commanding general, thanked the post's civilian workforce for their service and encouraged them to share concerns with their supervisors and with him.
"Facts, assistance and compassion - that's how we're going to approach this all the way through," he said.
As the Army moves toward a smaller force, its civilian workforce is slated to become smaller as well.
Fort Benning's Civilian Personnel Advisory Center is working to place employees designated as surplus into vacant positions at Fort Benning whenever possible.
Additional skills training to help affected employees transition into new jobs will be made available, and beginning around late March, CPAC will also work on a case-by-case basis with affected employees who are interested in pursuing positions at other duty stations.
For now, steps employees can take include keeping their Civilian Record Brief and USAJobs resumes up-to-date and taking advantage of training and professional development opportunities.
Below is a summary of some of the main points addressed at the meeting:
•The MCoE has already taken action to increase efficiencies, including brigade restructuring, opening VERA/VSIP windows, implementing a hiring freeze and realigning employees from the deactivated 197th Infantry Brigade into other positions.
•A mock reduction in force exercise has recently been completed. Employees identified as affected during the mock RIF will receive notification letters within approximately the next week and will be invited to register early for the Priority Placement Program.
•A new window for VERA/VSIP applications will be open from Feb. 9-20. Those accepted will be off the rolls no later than May 29.
•July 13 has been identified as the potential notification date for a reduction in force at Fort Benning. The potential effective date is Sept. 20.
More town hall meetings will be held to ensure employees stay informed.
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