AFRC Pilot Bonus

[jetip]

"Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs Office

11/26/2012 - Robins Air Force Base, Ga. -- A new proposed Aviator Retention Pay program for Air Force Reserve aircrew is expected to begin in 2013.

The ARP plan focuses on retaining aircrew officers to meet basic mission requirements for the reserve.

The offer will target only locations where significant shortfalls in rated officer manning exist and will offer a $30,000 bonus over a three-year span.

Pilots and combat systems officers who have completed their initial training commitment including those eligible for retirement but excluding those in the 16 to 20 years of service will be offered a bonus. Additionally, any pilot or CSO willing to join a critically manned unit between completion of initial training commitment and 25 years of aviation service will be offered a bonus.

"The Air Force Reserve Command aircrew force is shrinking, particularly in pilots and combat systems operators. This is due to a number of factors, including the shrinking size of the Regular Air Force. In this environment, every crewmember we can retain in the total force is absolutely vital," said Lt. Gen. James Jackson, AFRC commander.

Lt. Col. John Welch, Rated/Operations Force Policy chief, Air Force Reserve Personnel Directorate, said the new program is open to more people. The old Aviator Continuation Pay program was only offered to eligible aviators in full-time Active Guard Reserve status. The old program also sets limits on years of aviation service and total federal active military service. It was not tailored to meet the needs of a specific type of weapons system or unit.

If approved by January, the program will begin in early 2013."

_____________________________

Lets see now. We booted several of our most experienced instructors in the last year because they were at 20, were retirement eligible, and had been passed over once (TR and AGR) . I'm telling all my guys (because I'm being told) promotion definitely requires PME, and likely a masters, just like AD. Ran out of money last year and had to cancel duty. Basically no UTA money, and no AFTP money last month. IDT only travel going away. Six day duty plan going away. Long term and weekend MPA highly scrutinized.

Welcome to the bathtub. Short on pilots...who'd a thought.

[Loach]

I had to look up the article on the AFRC newsite, b/c I literally couldn't believe it. Thought it might be another article from the Onion, kind of like the recent one that declared Kim Jun Un sexiest man of 2012. Who manages these things at the AF and AFRC? I'll take the bonus, if I qualify, but really -- forcing ART's out at minimum retirement eligible age, taking airframes away from units, not letting rated AFRC crewmembers in non-flying units fly with other AFRC units (b/c "there's no travel moneyt"), etc, and now there's a shortage of rated people? What next? Big blue going to re-open the rated recall to active duty program too?

[Cap-10]

Is this going to replace the normal ACP that AGR's were getting or is this an additional bonus that non-AGR's will be able to partake?

I don't have access to REAMO right meow, is there a formal message for FY-13 ACP bonus for AGR's?

Cheers,

Cap-10

[Termy]

This hasn't been approved yet and is separate from the AGR bonus. I've also been asking what a "critically manned unit" is and I am yet to hear an answer.

[on the fence]

Any idea if this will be available to ARTs?

[jetip]

No idea. I haven't seen an implementation message, or anything that says it was approved by whoever. It came across my desk this week and I haven't seen or heard any thing else. Odd thing is there were no rumors out there, to my knowledge, concerning an AGR/ART/TR bonus. It kind of came out of nowhere. If I hear or see anything else concerning it, I'll post it.

[Cap-10]

This hasn't been approved yet and is separate from the AGR bonus. I've also been asking what a "critically manned unit" is and I am yet to hear an answer.

FYI, at our MUTA this weekend, we got briefed that this will be in place of the AGR bonus.

Guess we will just have to wait for the release message.

Cheers,

Cap-10

[Termy]

Revival: Any idea on the AFRC AGR pilot bonus? We just got a new AGR and I am trying to help him. This information used to live on the REAMO site but that doesn't even exist now.

[Danny Noonin]

Revival: Any idea on the AFRC AGR pilot bonus? We just got a new AGR and I am trying to help him. This information used to live on the REAMO site but that doesn't even exist now.

Ran into issues at OSD. I wouldn't hold my breath for this year.

[Termy]

Do you know more? I just discovered the ANG one dated 1 June. (I always thought the ANG/AFRC bonus was one document.) The ANG bonus was the same that prior years have been.

[Danny Noonin]

Do you know more?

Yes, but I won't post much of it. The details are N/A anyway now.

The reserve bonus is a different document than the guard bonus. They've generally been the same parameters/criteria but his year the reserves tried something very different which ended up denied at the end game pretty recently. So last I talked to them they were still trying to figure out what to do. My own opinion is that it would be very difficult to get another (more traditional) bonus through coord and approved in time to execute this FY. But that's only my guess.

[Termy]

I see. Interesting information. Thanks.

[Termy]

For any AFRC AGR's out there, the new bonus is out. Two important items: if you have more than 15 years TAFMS, you are out of luck. This will close the opportunity for a TON of AGRs. (2/3 possible eligibles in my squadron lost out due to this new rule.) Secondly, it closes out at the end of this month, so you better get busy.