NE PA Army base to shut down Fridays for 11 weeks

(Tobyhanna) -- A northeastern Pennsylvania military base plans to shut down industrial operations on Fridays for almost three months in order to comply with furlough requirements in light of automatic federal spending cuts. 

Tobyhanna Army Depot in Monroe County, the military's largest electronics maintenance facility, on Monday notified its 3,500-plus civilian employees that operations will be shut down on Fridays for 11 weeks beginning July 12 and running through Sept. 20.

Col. Gerhard Schroeter said in a release that more than 300 employees have accepted early retirement offers since March and another 333 contractors have been released since October.

He also cited a hiring freeze, restrictions on supply purchases and travel and altered modernization plans.

Schroeter said the base continues to provide "reliable communications and electronic systems required by our nation's warfighters."