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Civilians to use new AF pay system

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo
  • Air Force Public Affairs Agency
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas --  All Air Force civilian employees are slated to be using a new, standardized Air Force pay system by June.

The Automated Time Attendance and Production System will standardize the pay method across the service and was scheduled to be implemented first at Air Force Global Strike Command and Air National Guard bases July 29.

According to Doug Bennett, associate deputy assistant secretary for Air Force Financial Operations, the system will be implemented service-wide in eight waves during the next year and is meant to save time so personnel can focus on accomplishing the Air Force mission.

"It allows folks to focus on the mission, and allows the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force to make informed decisions about where we need to spend our money," Bennett said.

Along with better accountability and efficiency, the system also eliminates paper use. Currently, many Air Force civilians manually report their hours using the old paper-based system, Bennett said. ATAAPS will allow users to enter their time and have the supervisor approve it electronically, providing an audit trail, while increasing the accuracy of financial statements.

"It's a lot easier to trace time cards when it is centrally located," Benjamin Yarish, Air Force Financial Management Information Technology Portfolio manager, said.

According to an Air Force study, 50 percent of the Air Force's civilian time cards were not properly approved by supervisors or entered into the Defense Civilian Personnel System in a timely manner.

These inaccuracies have resulted in overpayments, underpayments or, in some cases, no payments, according to the study.

"This standardized system will provide transparency and auditability," John Koski, Air Force Information Systems and Technology director, said.

"When your boss spends two hours every other week signing time cards, that's time that person isn't making sure aircraft are being repaired or ready to fly," Bennett said.

The Air Force is not the first service branch to use the system.

"This system has been around for about 10 years. The Army is already using it and the Navy is looking to use it," Yarish said. "Therefore its track record provides confidence to use the system Air Force-wide."

The first bases to receive the ATAAPS system are Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Whiteman AFB, Mo., Minot AFB, N.D., F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont.

"I think this is a great step forward," Bennett said. "I hope folks approach this system with an open mind and embrace this opportunity."