Hills

This is an action for a declaratory judgment and for injunctive relief instituted by a group of civilian employees at the Travis Air Force Base for. the purpose of preserving their job status free from the demotions incident to a reduction in force. The claim that their rights under Title 5 U.S.C.A.-§ 652 and § 868 have been impaired by, certain action allegedly taken by the military officials in charge of the administration of the Travis Air Force Base.

The following facts appear from- the record:

Pursuant to an order of the Defense Department reducing by 5% the amount of funds available for civilian payroll expenditures on Air Force bases, the officers in charge of the Travis Air Force Base, rather than laying off employees in the lower ranks of the civilian work force, reduced the rank and, correspondingly, the pay of certain of the civilian supervisory personnel at the base. The positions formerly occupied by the demoted civilian employees were given to military personnel. The demotion coupled with their replacement by military personnel are the operative facts which form the basis of the plaintiffs’ complaint. It appears that the directive from the Department of Defense…