Force Management in NDAA

[Pitt4401]

Folks,

I got the text from my work account, but be on the look out for an article running in the AF Times regarding the force management stuff included in the latest NDAA.

I will try not to violate the copyright, but some of the highlights I remember

-15 year retirements

- VSP

- Early Retirement Incentive Pay

The two bits of commentary in the story stuck in my memory

1. The author mentioned that the NDAA was rolling out force management options not seen since the post Cold-war Era drawdown

2. A congressional aide was quoted (under anonymity) that law makers said that the services were not planning for large drawdowns...but it seemed quite shortsighted from their perspective since lawmakers thought that the outlook is not nearly as rosy as the chiefs think it is

Edited December 19, 2011 by Pitt4401

[ThreeHoler]

Message we got today said there will be a Force Shaping Board for Lts and Capts with 6 or less years total active service. Supposedly there will be AFSC specific targets.

Also, HFP/IDP will be pro-rated on a per-day basis once the bill is signed. $7.50/day versus the old $225 a month (still the same amount, but no more quick in-n-outs for a whole month's HFP).

No changes to CZTE.

[Homestar]

Hmm. 15 year retirement sounds compelling. Sign the bonus at 10 years, stay till 15, get out and do something with your life five years earlier than you would have and have some bonus $ in your pocket.

When will the Air Force realize that it won't meet its end strength till it allows 11Xs to be eligible for VSP and early out options?

[FlyingBull]

Message we got today said there will be a Force Shaping Board for Lts and Capts with 6 or less years total active service. Supposedly there will be AFSC specific targets.

So as a 1LT currently at the FTU how concerned should I be about this?

[Skitzo]

15 year retirement is interesting. Wonder what the provisions will be?

[HU&W]

Here's some info from the House.

Voluntary retirement incentive matters (sec. 504)

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 502) that

would amend chapter 36 of title 10, United States Code, to

authorize a voluntary retirement incentive payment of up to 12

times an officer's monthly basic pay to certain officers with

between 20 and 29 years of active-duty service. This authority,

which was requested by the Department of Defense, would expire

not later than December 31, 2018, and would be used to reduce

end strength in a responsible manner during the planned force

drawdown.

The House bill contained no similar provision.

The House recedes with an amendment that would limit the

voluntary retirement incentive to no more than 675 members

through the expiration of the authority on December 31, 2018.

The amendment would also reinstate temporary early retirement

authority contained in section 4403 of the National Defense

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (Public Law 102-484) for

the military services, effective until December 31, 2018.

Which is located here:

http://thomas.loc.go...JQK1l:e1252505:

Summary: Retire at 15 years

I couldn't find the passage on temporary early retirement authority in the Senate version.

**Edited for brevity**

Edited December 20, 2011 by HU&W

[nunya]

(e) COMPUTATION OF RETIRED PAY- Retired or retainer pay of a member retired (or transferred to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve) under a provision of title 10, United States Code, by reason of eligibility pursuant to subsection (b) shall be reduced by 1/12 th of 1 percent for each full month by which the number of months of active service of the member are less than 240 as of the date of the member's retirement (or transfer to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve).

So if you retired right at 15 years (180 months), then you'd get 35% pay? Doesn't sound altogether like a bad deal, especially if the healthcare is unchanged. You can get out at ~37 instead of ~42, and might be more marketable. And for those going to the airlines, that's 5 more years of seniority.

[Fudge]

And those guys that just got separated at 15 years (the twice passed over Majors) are going to be PISSED, and rightfully so.

[BADFNZ]

Message we got today said there will be a Force Shaping Board for Lts and Capts with 6 or less years total active service. Supposedly there will be AFSC specific targets.

Time to start working on that resume!

[FLY6584]

Message we got today said there will be a Force Shaping Board for Lts and Capts with 6 or less years total active service. Supposedly there will be AFSC specific targets.

That would be great! I'm a Capt with 5 years of service that would love to get out. I've yet to find a way to do it though while I watch good dudes that want to stay in get kicked out.

[dream big]

So as a 1LT currently at the FTU how concerned should I be about this?

Get your masters....

[Guest CAVEMAN]

15 year retirement could be good or bad. Mostly good if you have a game plan. Getting out to join the Reserve/Guard for a couple more years could get you a better percentage howbeit couple years later. One has to sit down and crunch the numbers. Just like most things, it is situation specific.

[Loach]

I didn't see anything in what I got this morning (an AFPC generated Force Management presentation) about 15 yr retirements. Most of the changes dealt with High Year Tenure (being reduced) for E-4 through E-6's. All of the officer stuff I saw (except for the expanded Palce Chase program) said that officers with the AFSC's of "11X, 12X" and a lot of 13's are NOT eligible for the programs being offered (i.e. waiver of TIG for O-5, reduced from 10 to 8 yrs for prior service O's commissioned time). About 3/4 of the presentation dealt with enlisted force issues. The presentation states that the Air Force is projected to be about 3K over authorized end strength at the end of FY 13.

[LockheedFix]

I'm trying to remember...is this the same legislation that didn't get passed until the spring last year that delayed the Major's board results from coming out until April? And shortly after this gets signed we should hear the results for the most recent board shortly thereafter? Or am I way off base?

[ClearedHot]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1030-11

December 19, 2011

DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Fiscal Year 2012, Through November

The Department of Defense announced today recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for fiscal year-to-date 2012, through November.

• Active Component.

• Recruiting -- Year to Date. All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal year-to-date 2012, through November.

o Army -- 11,260 accessions, with a goal of 11,100; 101 percent

o Navy -- 4,457 accessions, with a goal of 4,457; 100 percent

o Marine Corps -- 3,959 accessions, with a goal of 3,949; 100 percent

o Air Force -- 5,030 accessions, with a goal of 5,030; 100 percent

• Retention. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force all exhibited strong retention numbers for the first two months of fiscal year-to-date 2012.

• Reserve Component.

• Recruiting -- Year to Date. Four of the six reserve components met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal year-to-date 2012, through November.

o Army National Guard -- 7,214 accessions, with a goal of 7,775; 93 percent

o Army Reserve -- 5,087 accessions, with a goal of 4,335; 117 percent

o Navy Reserve -- 1,302 accessions, with a goal of 1,302; 100 percent

o Marine Corps Reserve -- 1,716 accessions, with a goal of 1,501; 114 percent

o Air National Guard -- 1,120 accessions, with a goal of 1,275; 88 percent

o Air Force Reserve -- 1,292 accessions, with a goal of 1,292; 100 percent

• Attrition. All reserve components are on target to achieve their fiscal 2012 attrition goals.

[BitteEinBit]

And those guys that just got separated at 15 years (the twice passed over Majors) are going to be PISSED, and rightfully so.

I would imagine those who just separated at 15 years would be eligible for retirement since the NDAA is fiscal. If those guys were still active duty as of 1 Oct 2011, they should be eligible (key word should). The way I understand it, they just won't get retirement pay until the separation pay is paid back. I think that is a provision of accepting separation pay. Can someone verify that?. If they are allowed to retire, they essentially just got an interest free loan (advance) on their next few years of retirement pay. May not be a bad deal afterall.

That being said...I don't think they will have a hard time trimming the overages of the 15-20 year servicemembers over the next few years.

Any word on the ACP bonus?

Edited December 20, 2011 by BitteEinBit

[Guest Hueypilot812]

I can't wait for another round of watching the USAF deny separations to 11Xs that want out, but then kick out 11Xs that want to stay...

[Biff_T]

I hit 14 years in May!

Edited December 21, 2011 by heloboy

[Van1]

I would imagine those who just separated at 15 years would be eligible for retirement since the NDAA is fiscal. If those guys were still active duty as of 1 Oct 2011, they should be eligible (key word should). The way I understand it, they just won't get retirement pay until the separation pay is paid back. I think that is a provision of accepting separation pay. Can someone verify that?. If they are allowed to retire, they essentially just got an interest free loan (advance) on their next few years of retirement pay. May not be a bad deal afterall.

That being said...I don't think they will have a hard time trimming the overages of the 15-20 year servicemembers over the next few years.

Any word on the ACP bonus?

There is a formula for paying back invol sep pay if one were to eventually earn a military retirement. I'd have to dig it up, but I know I figured my payback and that about 50% of my pre-tax retirement pay would go to pay the invol sep pay received and that it would take about 7 years to pay it back.

Yes, invol sep pay is a nice interest free loan. Paid off a car, camper, and home equity loan and stashed the remaining $40k in a bond fund to make up for the missing 50% when I retire from the Guard.

[HU&W]

Offerings to enlisted. More to follow?

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123297088