When the Air Force (DoD?) announced that it was planning an unprecedented number of personnel cuts for the coming fiscal year(s), I don’t think anyone was shocked. That said, there is a significant amount of stress that is placed upon people whose jobs are now uncertain. When these cuts were announced back in January, there was a fairly clear path forward and assurance of complete transparency in the process. Timelines, programs, numbers, etc., all seemed to reflect that. I think generally, the population affected had a good idea of what was to come. Good or bad.
A couple of weeks back, however, the Air Force slammed on the breaks. They “suspended” the processing of early retirement and voluntarily separation packages. The only tools that were out there that gave members any control over their own destinies. For people who wish to remain, or those like me who don’t exactly qualify for early retirement, but have served too many years to simply quit and lose out on a lifetime of benefits, we are left in a state of limbo.
Questions are being asked that go unanswered, rumors are running rampant. The general statement from “above” is to just keep doing the best job you know how as if nothing is different. Really? That’s incredibly easy to say when your job is secure. When you are afforded the opportunity to retire no matter the outcome. For the rest of us it’s a constant source of stress. Every day we are left to wonder what our futures are going to hold. Every night we lose sleep. It is getting harder and harder to keep a brave face.
There was a great line from the Princess Bride that really sums this up nicely, and I must thank my husband Eric for bringing up its relevancy to this situation. When Wesley was talking to Buttercup about the events that took place during his time away he explained…“Every night the Dread Pirate Roberts would say to me, “Good work, sleep well, I’ll most likely kill you in the morning…”.
Yep. That pretty much sums it up.
A couple of weeks back, however, the Air Force slammed on the breaks. They “suspended” the processing of early retirement and voluntarily separation packages. The only tools that were out there that gave members any control over their own destinies. For people who wish to remain, or those like me who don’t exactly qualify for early retirement, but have served too many years to simply quit and lose out on a lifetime of benefits, we are left in a state of limbo.
Questions are being asked that go unanswered, rumors are running rampant. The general statement from “above” is to just keep doing the best job you know how as if nothing is different. Really? That’s incredibly easy to say when your job is secure. When you are afforded the opportunity to retire no matter the outcome. For the rest of us it’s a constant source of stress. Every day we are left to wonder what our futures are going to hold. Every night we lose sleep. It is getting harder and harder to keep a brave face.
There was a great line from the Princess Bride that really sums this up nicely, and I must thank my husband Eric for bringing up its relevancy to this situation. When Wesley was talking to Buttercup about the events that took place during his time away he explained…“Every night the Dread Pirate Roberts would say to me, “Good work, sleep well, I’ll most likely kill you in the morning…”.
Yep. That pretty much sums it up.
1 comment:
Maybe they cannot give you information because they don't know anything. Which is even scarier. Either that or they know everything but are afraid if they tell everyone now those leaving will either slack off or try to inflict some kind of damage. I realize that you are not a person whom would ever slack off or cause destruction but there are people who would.
What ever the case may be, it is sadistic to keep you in the dark about it.
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