WPAFB -- There are 13,000 civilian workers preparing tonight for furloughs taking up to 20 percent of their income.
"It's very hard to keep intact. To keep morale going without having that in the back of your head," said Cheif of installation protocol Jene Curell.
She says she spent the morning apologizing to the 13 workers under her.
"I'm looking at the single mother knowing she may see a 20 percent pay cut," she said. "For some of us we are more easily able to endure that. For her she's not.
Community Support Coordinator for installation Danna Plewe and her husband are both civilian employees and can lose up to 20 percent of their income.
"I have two children in college and fall tuition bills... I'm not looking forward to that," she said.
"I just have to have faith," said Sgt. Holly Vaught. She says the base has had to come together for each other as they wait to hear what will happen to their fellow employees.
"Military members are going to have to step up, work maybe longer hours but that's what we're trained to do," Vaught said. "Adapt to the situation and to be there for one another."
If these for furloughs do happen the effects will be for reaching even outside Wright Patt Air Force Base. We're talking the entire community of Fairborn.
"It would slow our business down tremendously if those patients on coming in because they can't afford the care," said Angela England of Shaffer Chiropractic Clinic "If it closes down nearby businesses, then we would see the same thing. We would have a lot fewer patients."
A sequestration does not automatically mean there will be a furlough, but it does mean the base will see a 10 to 15 percent reduction on non pay accounts. That includes everyone who contracts with the base . Right now everything is up in the air until they hear from the Department of Defense.
"We've already started to make me reductions," said WPAFB commander Connie Barlow. "As soon as we get an exact number we'll make more."
But the civilian employees hope it doesn't have to get to that point.They blame Congress for kicking the can down the road and letting this deal go to the last minute.
"It's time to make those tough decisions," said Curell. "We people seem to know what those decisions are but the legislative and executive branch need to make it happen."
If the furloughs do happen, base officials will send notifications to each furloughed employee in mid March. That starts a 30 day clock and the furloughs will begin in April.
At that point the civilian employees have to figure out how to get five days of work done in four days and how to live off of 80 percent of their income.
Connect with ABC 22/FOX 45 Reporter Wale Aliyu on Facebook and Twitter.
"It's very hard to keep intact. To keep morale going without having that in the back of your head," said Cheif of installation protocol Jene Curell.
She says she spent the morning apologizing to the 13 workers under her.
"I'm looking at the single mother knowing she may see a 20 percent pay cut," she said. "For some of us we are more easily able to endure that. For her she's not.
Community Support Coordinator for installation Danna Plewe and her husband are both civilian employees and can lose up to 20 percent of their income.
"I have two children in college and fall tuition bills... I'm not looking forward to that," she said.
"I just have to have faith," said Sgt. Holly Vaught. She says the base has had to come together for each other as they wait to hear what will happen to their fellow employees.
"Military members are going to have to step up, work maybe longer hours but that's what we're trained to do," Vaught said. "Adapt to the situation and to be there for one another."
If these for furloughs do happen the effects will be for reaching even outside Wright Patt Air Force Base. We're talking the entire community of Fairborn.
"It would slow our business down tremendously if those patients on coming in because they can't afford the care," said Angela England of Shaffer Chiropractic Clinic "If it closes down nearby businesses, then we would see the same thing. We would have a lot fewer patients."
A sequestration does not automatically mean there will be a furlough, but it does mean the base will see a 10 to 15 percent reduction on non pay accounts. That includes everyone who contracts with the base . Right now everything is up in the air until they hear from the Department of Defense.
"We've already started to make me reductions," said WPAFB commander Connie Barlow. "As soon as we get an exact number we'll make more."
But the civilian employees hope it doesn't have to get to that point.They blame Congress for kicking the can down the road and letting this deal go to the last minute.
"It's time to make those tough decisions," said Curell. "We people seem to know what those decisions are but the legislative and executive branch need to make it happen."
If the furloughs do happen, base officials will send notifications to each furloughed employee in mid March. That starts a 30 day clock and the furloughs will begin in April.
At that point the civilian employees have to figure out how to get five days of work done in four days and how to live off of 80 percent of their income.
Connect with ABC 22/FOX 45 Reporter Wale Aliyu on Facebook and Twitter.
