Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

[contraildash]

Posted in the airline thread about this, but I wonder how much money the AF spends on medical folks compared to the aviation bonus. Kinda insane the money they throw at them.

https://www.myairforcebenefits.us.af.mil/Benefit-Library/Federal-Benefits/Special-Pay?serv=20

[FourFans]

On 4/17/2021 at 6:31 PM, Bode said:

If I take the bonus this year ($15k) and it jumps next year can I renegotiate or am I stuck with the current amount?

Any "renegotiation" will come with a longer commitment.  For example in 2015 I took a 5 year $25k bonus.  The next year I was offered a "renegotiation" option where the only option was up 20 YAS...which I flatly rejected.  Weight all options heavily. 

When you are committed, you lose all power of "no".  In the current environment, recognize that pilots are about to start abandoning ship again with airline hiring, leaving a massive hole in the population that is eligible for 180, 365, and non-desirable taskings to all AFSCs...and if you're committed, you have no say in the matter.  Make sure that little 1990's level bonus is really worth it to you.

If in doubt, don't take it and wait a year.

[CaptainMorgan]

Any "renegotiation" will come with a longer commitment.  For example in 2015 I took a 5 year $25k bonus.  The next year I was offered a "renegotiation" option where the only option was up 20 YAS...which I flatly rejected.  Weight all options heavily. 
When you are committed, you lose all power of "no".  In the current environment, recognize that pilots are about to start abandoning ship again with airline hiring, leaving a massive hole in the population that is eligible for 180, 365, and non-desirable taskings to all AFSCs...and if you're committed, you have no say in the matter.  Make sure that little 1990's level bonus is really worth it to you.
If in doubt, don't take it and wait a year.

Waiting a year may help, or it may not. In my case, I was offered 30k a year (took 8 years, taking me to 20). Had I waited a year, I could have signed for 7 years at 35k, netting a total of 245K instead of 240, but with no lump sum payment option. I’ve easily made up that 5k difference with the interest earned on the lump. As they’re currently offering the max (35k) for most career fields and airframes and there’s no talk of increasing the bonus in Congress, waiting now is probably not going to be financially beneficial. That said, you can’t put a price on free agency (oh wait, didn’t that 2-star say there are no free agents?).


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[FourFans]

54 minutes ago, CaptainMorgan said:

...waiting now is probably not going to be financially beneficial. That said, you can’t put a price on free agency (oh wait, didn’t that 2-star say there are no free agents?).

All true words.  I personally believe that senior USAF officials who want to maximize retention intentionally (if not consciously) hope to keep service members from understanding the real power of that word: "no" by trying to keep us focused on the money aspect, instead of the quality of life as a civilian, TR, or guardsman.

But even there they fail.  The 25k bonus from the 1990s should be a bare minimum of 37-40k to account for based on inflation alone.  It's a barehanded slap to our intelligence.

[BADFNZ]

Yet both of you took it.

[CaptainMorgan]

Yet both of you took it.

Signed it after working my next assignment. I also didn’t have the hours at the time to be competitive for anything other than a regional, and I couldn’t stomach that pay cut.


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[BADFNZ]

Well everyone's asking why they're offering such a shitty bonus, and the answer is because people are still taking it.  Why would they raise it when they can keep it low and still have plenty of takers?  Vote with your feet.

[FLEA]

46 minutes ago, BADFNZ said:

Well everyone's asking why they're offering such a shitty bonus, and the answer is because people are still taking it.  Why would they raise it when they can keep it low and still have plenty of takers?  Vote with your feet.

Don't worry, I know lots of 11Rs not taking it.....

 

 

......what too soon? 

[PAWS]

13 hours ago, CaptainMorgan said:

Signed it after working my next assignment. I also didn’t have the hours at the time to be competitive for anything other than a regional, and I couldn’t stomach that pay cut.

I’m in a similar boat.  ‘Volunteer-esque’ options arose that I could tailor my next 2 flying assignments (or 3 if I really min-run my tour lengths) to work in my favor; mind you, my personal priorities may not mirror everyone else’s.  I also saw the Air Force’s stellar talent-management/COVID-flavored writing on the wall, and renegotiated the FY20 bonus in the last few weeks it was offered to work for my family and myself.

I flat out tell the younger guys and gals whom I work with that if I was maybe 1, but definitely 2-3 year groups later, I would be making different choices, but this worked out so that I can bend it to my benefit.

Edited April 27, 2021 by PAWS

[cragspider]

Well there’s this nice little Av web story  and the one referenced inside it as well. I’ll say this about this current bonus offering, who in there right mind would take this one? This offer isn’t going to go well for them this time. 

[PAWS]

7 minutes ago, cragspider said:

Well there’s this nice little Av web story  and the one referenced inside it as well. I’ll say this about this current bonus offering, who in there right mind would take this one? This offer isn’t going to go well for them this time. 

I laud the energy these two guys have, but laugh that they think the anyone with the authority to change things will use logic to reverse the recent shifts in long-term manpower/talent management.

There’s always room to create UPT 3.0 and UPT Next-next.  (Not that the current side-effect of using modern commercial technology to increase student skills are bad, but intentionally using that as the primary solution to a self-made problem is wrong.)

[tac airlifter]

2 hours ago, BADFNZ said:

Well everyone's asking why they're offering such a shitty bonus, and the answer is because people are still taking it.  Why would they raise it when they can keep it low and still have plenty of takers?  Vote with your feet.

Exactly right.  

[pawnman]

Just lower the standards until you get enough pilots.

 

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/04/27/the_air_force_is_about_to_lower_its_already_low_standards_774596.html

[CaptainMorgan]

I’m just waiting for the UPT ADSC to be increased


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[CaptainMorgan]

I’m just waiting for the UPT ADSC to be increased


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[theoriginalturk]

7 hours ago, pawnman said:

Just lower the standards until you get enough pilots.

 

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/04/27/the_air_force_is_about_to_lower_its_already_low_standards_774596.html

You should see the curriculum and product on the RPA side. I’d laugh if it wasn’t such a bad joke. 

[di1630]

Just lower the standards until you get enough pilots.
 
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/04/27/the_air_force_is_about_to_lower_its_already_low_standards_774596.html

I’m satisfied with the UPT product. Are they overall as good aviators as 1990....maybe not. Do they need to be? No.

It’s a different game. UPT standards over 30 years don’t mean much.

I taught t-38s a decade plus ago and we washed kids out for stuff that isn’t even deemed relevant now.

I was in my first B course 18 years ago today. Little to none of it applies to what I’m doing now. What took 12 jets to go back then, I can do with 4 today, safer and faster.

Lots of old people decry change. I welcome it.

Oh, and the T-1 is a huge reason we lowered attrition. Turns out KC-135 pilots don’t need 4-ship tac formation....no sh-t....!!!!!




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[FourFans]

On 4/26/2021 at 9:51 PM, BADFNZ said:

Yet both of you took it.

Yup.  Because I had a concurrent running ADSC because AFPC incorrectly dated my GI bill transfer and refused to fix it. 

Regardless, having seen behind the curtain now, I can speak with authority when I say "don't take the bonus".

On 4/27/2021 at 10:48 AM, BADFNZ said:

Well everyone's asking why they're offering such a shitty bonus, and the answer is because people are still taking it.  Why would they raise it when they can keep it low and still have plenty of takers?  Vote with your feet.

...and I did.  I got out as soon as I could...right in the middle of a global pandemic, at 17 years of service, while non-current in an airplane, and I haven't regretted that decision even once.  So I say again: don't take the bonus.

[Seriously]

On 4/28/2021 at 6:39 PM, FourFans130 said:

 

...and I did.  I got out as soon as I could...right in the middle of a global pandemic, at 17 years of service, while non-current in an airplane, and I haven't regretted that decision even once.  So I say again: don't take the bonus.

I also left AD during the pandemic and have not regretted it one second.** I was also able to receive the bonus where if I'd stayed on Active Duty I would've had to wait another year for eligibility (fiscal years). 

**Note to the younger guys: I cherish my 11 years on AD and would not have done it any other way (e.g. joining the guard directly). 

[di1630]

Delta hiring, AA hiring, Cargo never stopped hiring...I shouldn’t be looking fwd so much to the FY21 ACP numbers but I am.

At this rate the USAF should try to screw up the bonus and see if by luck they get it correct.


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[Guardian]

How did it go a few years back? $60k a year was asked for. 48k was approved by Congress as a cap and AF said $35k?

[CaptainMorgan]

How did it go a few years back? $60k a year was asked for. 48k was approved by Congress as a cap and AF said $35k?

48k approved by the House. Senate only approved 35k.


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[SurelySerious]

48k approved by the House. Senate only approved 35k.


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As much as John McCain did in his time, he was a loud voice against a lot of military compensation. “we didn’t need this kind of money to be patriotic back in my day” is what I took away from his position and lobbying on all those items.

[CaptainMorgan]

As much as John McCain did in his time, he was a loud voice against a lot of military compensation. “we didn’t need this kind of money to be patriotic back in my day” is what I took away from his position and lobbying on all those items.

And as long as Tom Cotton is on the SASC, I wouldn’t expect a increase either.


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[brabus]

21 hours ago, di1630 said:

Delta hiring, AA hiring, Cargo never stopped hiring...I shouldn’t be looking fwd so much to the FY21 ACP numbers but I am.

At this rate the USAF should try to screw up the bonus and see if by luck they get it correct.


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Option 1: Get out ASAP and go Guard/get a line number - be eternally grateful you made that decision

Option 2: Take the bonus, get out in 6-9 years and get a line number - be eternally pissed you made a poor choice in 2021 and tell all the young guys not to make the same mistake you did