USAFE observes National Day of Mourning January 2

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  President Bush has issued Executive Order 11582 directing the closure of all Federal government executive departments and agencies Jan. 2, as a mark of respect for the passing of former President Gerald R. Ford.

"As a team we will mourn the loss of President Ford. He was a great American," said Col. "Tip" Stinnette, 39th Air Base Wing commander. "As we take that time to reflect I want to remind you to please be safe over the next four days."

For U.S. employees, the day is to be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. The Executive Order allows the Secretary of Defense to exclude those offices, installations, and parts thereof that should remain open for reasons of national security, defense or other essential business. A copy of the Executive Order and OPM guidance can be found here.

DFAS will modify the Defense Civilian Pay System to add Jan. 2 to the DCPS Holiday Dates Table, which will allow the timecard entry of Holiday Leave on that day, or the appropriate Holiday Premium code (HG, HF, HS, HT, HC) for U.S. employees who are required to work that day. A U.S. employee previously scheduled to take annual leave, or any other form of paid time off, will not be required to take leave that day.

The Executive Order does not create an additional holiday for local national employees, but installation commanders should grant excused absence without charge to leave to local national employees for that day, to the extent allowed by mission requirements. In order to be excused, the employee is required to be scheduled for duty on the date specified. Therefore, an employee on authorized leave for a period which includes Jan. 2 may not be granted this administrative excusal, neither may one for whom Jan. 2, would be a normal day off. Those few LN employees who cannot be excused because they must perform essential operations will be paid normal pay for that day, and are not entitled to excused absence at a later date.

Supervisors, please ensure all personnel are contacted, especially those on leave or TDY.