Oklahoma families in danger of losing pay or jobs through sequestration

There are five military bases within Oklahoma's borders and Senator Jim Inhofe worries thousands of people could be affected if sequestration comes true. "There are 16,000 at Tinker Air Force base alone" Inhofe told KRMG news. And there are plenty more. "In Altus they have 2,200, it comes up to about 20,000 in the state of Oklahoma" the senator told KRMG news.

Inhofe doesn’t trust the administration to protect those families or the military in general.

“During the Presidential campaign, Obama said ‘sequestration will not happen,’ even going so far as to pressure the defense sector to disregard the WARN Act and delay issuing pink slips until after the election. Yet here we are with another one of his failed promises,” said Inhofe.

Listen to all of the senators opinion by clicking here.

The senator went on.  “The Department of Defense is now being told to prepare for sequestration and for furloughing more than 800,000 civilian employees. In my home state of Oklahoma, all five of our major installations will see budget cuts. As a result, readiness and modernization will decline and many civilian personnel will be let go or have their hours significantly reduced, impacting local economies.”

Inhofe lays the blame square on the doorstep of the White House. "It's clear the President either does not understand or does not care about the impact sequestration will have on our military and the communities that support it. Rather than working with Congress and our military leaders to avoid this outcome, the President has instead chosen to score cheap political points at the expense of our national security. If we are unable to avert sequestration, then cuts will occur to military installations."

Recently, the Joint Chiefs issued a warning that the "readiness of our Armed Forces is at a tipping point." In response, on Jan. 28, Inhofe and his 11 Republican colleagues on SASC issued a letter to Chairman Carl Levin requesting an open hearing for the Joint Chiefs to outline the impacts of sequestration on the readiness of our forces and national security. A copy of the letter can be read by clicking here.

Oklahoma is home to Altus Air Force base, Ft. Sill, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Tinker Air Force Base and Vance Air Force Base. The following are ways the installations could be affected should sequestration take place:

• Up to 2,200 civilian employees face furloughs
• Cuts in civilian personnel performing base operations and support functions, and flight line operations and maintenance (O&M)
• Cuts in academic and simulator civilian personnel
• Decreased operating hours; decreased flying hours
• Decreased number of pilots completing training; decreased maintenance on KC-135 and C-17 aircraft
• Continued reduction in aircraft readiness rates
• Delay in the potential housing of the KC-46 aircraft
• Increased risk to flight operations

• Up to 6,000 civilian employees face furloughs
• Cuts in civilian personnel performing installation operations and support functions
• Decreased installation and facility operating hours
• Decreased training; reduced equipment availability
• Potential decreased graduation rate of students
• Decreased maintenance on all equipment
• Reduction in readiness rates of personnel and equipment
• Postponed infrastructure enhancements
• Increased risk to combat operations

• Up to 1,700 civilian employees face furloughs
• Cuts in civilian personnel performing installation operations and support functions
• Decreased installation and facility operation hours
• Decreased maintenance to installation facilities and infrastructure
• Decrease logistics and depots operations- receive, store, issue and stockpile surveillance
• Decreased weapons demilitarization
• Decreased weapons procurement due to decreased training, slower reset and reduced research and development funding
• Increased risk to war fighters

• Over 16,000 civilian employees face furloughs
• Cuts in civilian personnel performing base operations and support functions, and depot operations and maintenance (O&M)
• Reduced number of aircraft that complete depot maintenance (B-1, B-52, KC-135, AWACS, engines etc.)
• Increased number of aircraft unable to perform their mission because they are awaiting parts (Mission Incapable Awaiting Parts -MICAP)
• Increased time for the completion of maintenance on all depot aircraft
• Decreased readiness for entire Air Force fleet of aircraft due to limited availability of spare engines
• Decreased base and facility operating hours
• Delays in flight tests
• Reduced operations and readiness of Guard/Reserve KC-135 aircraft
• Decreased readiness rates of Navy TACAMO aircraft
• Increased risk to flight operations

• Over 150 civilian employees face furloughs
• Cuts in civilian personnel performing base operations and support functions, and flight line operations and maintenance (O&M)
• Cuts to academic and simulator civilian personnel
• Decreased operating hours; decreased flying hours
• Decreased number of pilots getting through training program; decreased maintenance on T-1, T-6 and T-38 aircraft
• Continued reduction in readiness rates of training aircraft
• Increased risk to flight operations

• Cuts in civilian personnel performing installation operations and support functions
• Decreased maintenance to installation facilities and infrastructure
• Decreased installation and facility operating hours
• Decreased training
• Reduced equipment availability
• Decreased maintenance on all equipment
• Reduction in readiness rates of personnel and equipment
• Increased risk to combat operations