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Reserve Command provides help for BRAC-affected personnel

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Dustin Doyle
  • Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Air Force Reserve Command is going to great lengths help reservists and civilians with new programs to navigate Base Realignment and Closure changes. 

The programs include a BRAC guide, member tracking codes, two clearing houses, email boxes and an archive; all designed to assist those affected by the current BRAC, and to create a system should Reserve Command ever face it again. 

A web-based guide titled “A BRAC Guide for Civilian and Military Personnel Issues” outlines and explains the programs. The personnel directorate here released the guide Jan. 4, and will continue to update as new programs and policy emerge.
In addition to explaining all the programs as they apply to civilians and reservists, the guide has a broad range of military and civilian personnel information pertaining to BRAC. 

“It’s a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach,” said Col. Larry Lee, chief of personnel studies and analysis at AFRC. “Not only does the guide provide a wealth of information, but it starts the mindset that BRAC is here. It starts the wheels in motion.”
While the BRAC guide is intended for use by commanders and managers, it also contains vital information for displaced members, such as an overview and explanation of the clearing houses. Members can access the guide from a military computer at https://wwwmil.afrc.af.mil/hq/dp/brac. 

Once Reserve Command knows which members BRAC or other programmatic decisions will impact, it will give those members an Assignment Availability Code. The code will allow Reserve Command to track impacted members and control the timeliness of critical losses at closed or drawn down sites. 

The next program consists of two clearing house tools. One will assist enlisted Air Reserve Technicians and Title 5 civilians, and the other Active Guard and Reserve, Individual Mobilization Augmentees and unit traditional reservists. Once online, these clearing houses will allow members displaced by BRAC and other programs to input their individual location preference and address career choices. (military only). The system will then attempt to find an available position for the member based on those factors. 

“It’s a way for us to take care of our people the best we can,” said Steve Mann, director of personnel at AFRC. “It’s a way to ensure we place in vacancies as many folks as we can who want to continue employment in the Command; be it on the full time support side or on the part time Reserve side. It will allow them to have options and make decisions.”
The clearing houses will also provide civilian and military personnel flights with a tool to focus their assistance efforts, and commanders with a means to locate volunteers for employment. According to the BRAC guide, bases are required to consider members who register in one of the clearing houses for placement in vacant positions before using recruiting or internal placement. 

“One very key point is the expectation for the commanders and military personnel flights at all wings and agencies that have assigned reservists to use the clearing house,” said Colonel Lee. While BRAC is not impacting all wings and agencies, displaced members will be looking for positions everywhere. 

“It’s extremely important that all locations look at the clearing house tool so we can retain as many of our personnel as we possibly can,” said Colonel Lee. 

To assist anyone who has questions about the new programs, BRAC or other programmatic issues, Reserve Command has opened two email boxes; one for civilians and one for military. While Reserve Command encourages all members to use the email boxes for questions, members should send questions of a personal nature to servicing personnel flights. 

“We will continue to work at this BRAC process,” said Mr. Mann. “It will continue to be an emerging process, and as we see changes or modifications that need to be made we will get it out to the members though our BRAC guide. We want everyone to stay informed as to what is going on.”