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Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)


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44 minutes ago, Craftsman said:

Any rumors/latest and greatest for this years bonus? With COVID and all, do you think they are smart enough to see there is still going to be a shortage and need to get as many bonus takers as possible? Keep the the 3 year and up bonus or back to 5 years? 

My gut is they will offer the bonus per normal this year. They hedge that the Coronavirus is temporary and even though retention is all time high, it could swing the other direction with a vaccine. Bonus takers get hooked for at least 3 years so there is some long term insurance to the bargain. But I'm thinking they probably offer VSP this year as well. Whether pilots are eligible for that who knows. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/15/2020 at 7:17 PM, TexanDriver8 said:

Hey guys, I have a very specific question for the peanut gallery; it only applies to Reserve AGR flyers so if you're not one you can scroll on. 

BACKGROUND: I had significant difficulties getting my orders extended to 20 despite having been granted career status (another long story) that led to my being unable to apply for AvB under the FY20 bonus before midnight 30 Sept.  Therefore, I won't be able to sign the FY21 bonus until it comes out in (I'm being told) June of '21.  On the reserve side, my airframe has achieved excellent manning levels (AGR), therefore I anticipate between that and the airline situation, the bonus is going away for me in '21.  This means that because of delays caused by ARPC I am liable to lose out on $140K worth of bonus, all due to bureaucratic incompetence. 

GET TO THE POINT: (Again, Reserve AGR Only) Does anyone know of any circumstances in which a waiver for the bonus signup cutoff requirement was granted?  Has anyone lawyered up?  Do you think I should after exhausting all the normal lines of effort?  Just thought I'd ask the hive mind, this is a pretty huge bummer.

Texan, they have extended the FY20 bonus to 31 Dec.  Submit normally now.

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On 11/30/2020 at 9:18 AM, FLEA said:

My gut is they will offer the bonus per normal this year. They hedge that the Coronavirus is temporary and even though retention is all time high, it could swing the other direction with a vaccine. Bonus takers get hooked for at least 3 years so there is some long term insurance to the bargain. But I'm thinking they probably offer VSP this year as well. Whether pilots are eligible for that who knows. 

 

Anyone heard anymore about an FY21 AvB?  

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Not aware of Reserves rules. AD used to be a hard no. Guard is a yes and it’s written in to the contract how to get out of it.

Edit. The above was just answering if it’s possible to get out of the bonus. As for PC, I’m guessing that AD won’t let you out. But my info is very dated.

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Random bar talk with bro's and this question popped up: Is it possible to curtail the bonus (I imagine pay it back in full) and get rid of the ADSC and/or Palace Chase from the ADSC?
My contract (AD FY19 bonus) stated:

Should I desire to retire or separate prior to completion of my AvB ADSC, approval or disapproval will be made by the Secretary of the Air Force based on Air Force needs and will not be influenced by my offer to repay AvB.


So I guess it's technically possible, but unlikely. Though I think SecAF also approves palace chase as well, so who knows, maybe if you have a unique skill the AF wants in a reserve unit, then maybe you're odds are better?

It's a pretty one way contact in that regard, you'd have to sell the AF that releasing you to the reserves is in the best interest of the AF, who, if they do nothing, has you locked into your ADSC anyways and bringing you closer to the retirement incentive to stay in AD anyways.
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Random bar talk with bro's and this question popped up: Is it possible to curtail the bonus (I imagine pay it back in full) and get rid of the ADSC and/or Palace Chase from the ADSC?

Not sure about the PC option. But I requested a SecAF waiver to curtail my bonus ADSC and pay back the unearned portion to retire at 20. It was denied. But this was also pre-Covid. YMMV


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3 hours ago, KWings06j said:

Any rumint in this year's bonus release? I'm not eligible but curious how big the knee jerk will be with the covid retention bump.

Same. Does anyone remember from the last time if you signed the bonus and then VSP was offered if you could take both?

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14 minutes ago, BADFNZ said:

The AF would be stupid to offer anything less than 5 years knowing the airlines aren't going to be hiring for at least a couple years.  And I bet their 5-year bonus will have record take rates.

I’ve seen a pretty decent amount of AF people getting picked up by UPS/FedEx/Atlas. I think that while people are staying in for now, they seem to want to keep their options open, so I don’t see them taking 5 years at a significantly higher rate than before. 

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1 hour ago, BADFNZ said:

The AF would be stupid to offer anything less than 5 years knowing the airlines aren't going to be hiring for at least a couple years.  And I bet their 5-year bonus will have record take rates.

I don't plan to take it and still plan to get out next year. Granted I wrote the airlines off a while ago. But COVID actually drove me out of the organization with more furry than before. Watching the total ineptness of leadership able to deal with this crises, and then just putting it back onto troops to suck it up and make it work, has made me realize no one in this organization has any interest in your or your family's well-being. Get out while you can. 

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2 hours ago, BADFNZ said:

The AF would be stupid to offer anything less than 5 years knowing the airlines aren't going to be hiring for at least a couple years. 

 

That's not a known right now and I'd expect to see a few of them hiring next year, possibly later this year, though I'm skeptical on that.  Either way, here's hoping they keep the shorter bonuses for the ARC, as many can not commit 5+ year bonuses.  

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I was thinking about taking a 3 year bonus, which would take me past 20 by a little bit. If 5 years is the min, I’m definitely gone at 20.

The extra $35K/yr makes a big difference in the calculus. With it, I make more with the AF than with Atlas, without it, I’ll take my chances.


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Quote
Happy Saturday all,
Reference the aviation bonus, a couple of thoughts.
- I don’t know of any talk of eliminating the bonus altogether across the board, but don’t be surprised if it changes in some way.
- Congress has a keen interest in the program and we’re required to justify/submit a business case analysis every year. They’re the ones who give us the money, so their opinion matters a lot.
- I’m not sure exactly when the program will be announced but I don’t think it will be too much longer - believe it is in final coordination now.
- I don’t know anyone at the GO level who thinks of COVID as a gift, is happy about the effect on the airlines or believes that the temporary spike in retention is anything more than that...temporary. I’m personally hoping and praying for a speedy end to all of this and I see no upside for the Air Force, not even retention, from what’s happening to our nation because of COVID.
A few personal thoughts for your consideration - biased by my age, rank and experience of course:
- Whether you decide to stay or go, I know that I speak for all the GOs when I say we appreciate your service and we respect your choice. My fondest hope is that you make the decision that’s best for you and your family. I want you to have a good life, and if that means you stay, that’s great. I’ve never tried to convince anyone to stay in the Air Force and I won’t start now. This isn’t easy and it gets harder the longer you stay, though I think the rewards are greater the longer you stay as well. Make no mistake, the coming years will be increasingly challenging. I can’t think of a worse scenario than staying because of the money.
- You probably know all you need to know to make a good decision that’s best for you and your family. You’ve been with us awhile. You’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly, along with a wide array of efforts and initiatives. Over to you to weigh the effort and decide the merits of the organization and the value proposition.
- This isn’t the NFL, and we don’t have ‘free agents’ - we have commissioned officers whose commitment is expiring and who have a choice to make regarding future service. The oath of office is the contract you really need to carefully consider whether to renew- it’s a more expensive contract than anything the NFL can offer.
- If you’re waiting on the bonus to decide whether you should continue to risk your life and ask your family to sacrifice for your country, you might want to re-think it. If the decision hinges on the money for you at this point, let me assure you that no amount of money is worth your life or the long term health of your family. If you’re worried about the sudden changes in the outside world, I can assure you the airlines will be back sooner than we think and you’ll do great if you go that route or pursue something else.
- The Air Force isn’t perfect, but I think there’s never been a better time to serve. I’m proud of the efforts we’re making to get better every day. It’s a great way of life and your service matters to our nation. If you disagree, the bonus won’t be the thing that changes your mind.
- If you like being part of a team that’s full of amazing people you can trust and who trust you, if you like being part of something bigger than yourself, if you believe the nation has real problems and real enemies and our future depends on having people who will put the nation first, and if your family enjoys serving too, you should consider staying.
Best of luck to all of you!
Cheers,
Pulse

 

Maj Gen Craig Wells on MAF FB.

Edited by FLEA
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