Q: I will turn 53 on June 10. My SCD is June 5, 1978. I have 33 years of federal service. I worked for the Air Force for the first 29 years. Then I was transferred to Defense Logistics Agency. We were told at that time that nothing would change. I have heard that the Air Force is submitting a survey in May asking how many federal Air Force employees would be interested in an early out. How might I get an offer for an early out? During the past years I missed out on two early outs, one because I had been transferred to DLA. I would like to retire.
A: You can’t do anything that would lead to an offer of early retirement. These offers are only made to those who would be affected by such things as reorganizations, realignments and downsizings. When an agency surveys its work force to see who would be interested in such an offer, it’s trying to determine if it can reduce it in the right places without having to resort to a reduction-in-force.