Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

[Guardian]

Guard part timer and or reservists part timers. Anyone still having issues getting flight pay?

[hindsight2020]

29 minutes ago, Guardian said:

Guard part timer and or reservists part timers. Anyone still having issues getting flight pay?

 

That's just a Tuesday in the NGB.

[SocialD]

4 hours ago, Guardian said:

Guard part timer and or reservists part timers. Anyone still having issues getting flight pay?

 

 

It's still showing up via a secondary paycheck.  Nothing like getting 6-9 pay stubs every month.   Don't worry though...I was assured in 2018, that it would all be fixed when DFAS rolls out the new pay system in Jan of 2020...

[mp5g]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:14 PM, SocialD said:

 

 

It's still showing up via a secondary paycheck.  Nothing like getting 6-9 pay stubs every month.   Don't worry though...I was assured in 2018, that it would all be fixed when DFAS rolls out the new pay system in Jan of 2020...

SocialD, you should feel privileged. You are literally living the real life “checks in the mail” maxim. Your check has just been in the mail for 4+ years. 

[SurelySerious]

SocialD, you should feel privileged. You are literally living the real life “checks in the mail” maxim. Your check has just been in the mail for 4+ years. 

Maybe they’ll move from snail mail to IE11 soon like UTAPS and AROWS. Only the most advanced.

[Guardian]

Anyone heard anything about a bonus yet? I thought the appropriations bill had been approved for some time.

[SocialD]

1 hour ago, mp5g said:

SocialD, you should feel privileged. You are literally living the real life “checks in the mail” maxim. Your check has just been in the mail for 4+ years. 

 

 

Right!  It was real fun last week explaining to the loan assumptions department why I had 6 paychecks one month and 1 the next month.  So now I just let my 105s stack up and sign them all at once on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.  Our CSS chick was like, must be nice to not need your paycheck lol. 

[Chuck17]

On 3/11/2022 at 11:56 AM, ClearedHot said:

Highly doubtful at this point.  Given the Russia/Ukraine situation and the potential for the house to flip I doubt we will see a substantial decrease in the Defense Budget.

Ha yeah no kidding - things changed in the six months since I made that comment, so, good point... I guess I had too much focus on the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the historical evidence of reduced defense budgets under democratic leadership... 

Chuck

Edited December 30, 2022 by Chuck17

[jice]

Looks like the new bonus is out. 35k/year (even for 11Rs this time) with 3-12 year options. Lump sums starting at 5 years for initial eligibles.

CSOs/WSOs… it’s not awesome. 15/25/35k per year starting at 3/5/8.

Now, if we can just get folks to see past the “35k max is congress’s fault…” It’s bullsh1t. We ask Congress to write a law about every dollar we spend; failing to equip the force in front of congress and failing to build the force we need (pay for talent) are both the same failure. 

[tac airlifter]

We should all stop calling it a bonus.  It’s a contract extention.  

[ImNotARobot]

At the pilot occupational level, they staff and manage this place like a regional airline. So, treat your ADSC contract like you work for the best paid regional airline, and a lot of this lamenting is self-limiting. If you pursue an extension of your one-sided contract, do so with eyes wide open. And to be clear, there are reasons why it's ok to be a "regional lifer" (ask me how I know). No right or wrong answer, only the right or wrong answer for each individual and /or dependent family.

Quoted again for posterity.

[Guardian]

Nothing on MyPERS yet.

[NUKE]

11 Apr is the release date from the data I’ve seen. 

[Hunter Rose]

Was there a $35K/3yr option for folks who previously had a bonus and are done with it? Or is the $35K only for initial eligible?

[Chuck17]

Official release is 11 April, but AFPC sent it out to the MPFs already.... PSDM # is 22-30.

Shoot me a govt email and I'll forward (FOUO).

Chuck

[brabus]

You know who else offers $35k bonuses…the guard. 

[BADFNZ]

I said it a couple months ago and I'll say it again:

Once you separate and go through the VA disability process, you can do damn near the bare minimum and easily end up with 40-50% disability.  That's $1000-$1300 a month, tax free depending on how many parents and kids you have.  The bonus is $35K/yr taxed, which depending on your bracket, will probably come out to roughly $2000 a month.  So handing your balls back to Big Blue for 3/5/8 years will net you roughly $1000 per month over just getting VA disability.  This doesn't even account for the piles of money you'll be making at your major of choosing if you separate. 

Bottom line at bottom:  taking the bonus will be the worst financial decision you'll ever make.  You'd be financially better off buying a boat, airplane, and a 2nd wife.  If you love your job and want to continue to serve, I respect you.  But don't, for one second, think it's a good financial move to take the bonus.

[BroncoEN]

On 12/28/2021 at 12:30 AM, Chida said:

NDAA just signed had this nugget: Reservist pilots to receive flight pay at the same monthly rate as an active duty guy, regardless of duty days, but first the services need to present their concerns to Congress, so who knows when it will actually be implemented.

https://www.ngaus.org/about-ngaus/newsroom/incentive-pay-parity-included-final-ndaa

Anyone know if this is actually happening? 

[Majestik Møøse]

20 hours ago, BADFNZ said:

Bottom line at bottom:  taking the bonus will be the worst financial decision you'll ever make.  You'd be financially better off buying a boat, airplane, and a 2nd wife.  If you love your job and want to continue to serve, I respect you.  But don't, for one second, think it's a good financial move to take the bonus.

It’s not a bad chunk of change for those of us who love our jobs and the people we serve with. Doubly so if you’re a U-2 guy without a Guard option!

(unless you’re cool with flying something lame)

[Guest nsplayr]

On 4/10/2022 at 9:31 PM, BADFNZ said:

Bottom line at bottom:  taking the bonus will be the worst financial decision you'll ever make.  You'd be financially better off buying a boat, airplane, and a 2nd wife.  If you love your job and want to continue to serve, I respect you.  But don't, for one second, think it's a good financial move to take the bonus.

* If you are an active duty current & qualified manned aircraft pilot with the mins & medical to get hired at a major airline and who is unhappy or neutral with their service in uniform

Guard guys, CSOs & RPA where $$$ civ flying is much rarer, and those who just love serving and who are in it to win it until TAFMS retirement, the bonus is a great financial decision…more money to do what you were gonna do anyways! It should be higher but they didn’t put me in charge and I agree that fence sitters should probably just update airline apps if applicable and/or go Guard.

Even the current bonus is a better financial decision by far than a FFF (🛥 🛩 💃) indulgence purchase, although those can be a lot of fun too outside the spreadsheet.

[Standby]

I’m already balls deep into my bonus, but some former squadron members reached out to me recently. One in particular is shooting for a mil retirement, but doesn’t want to sign the big bonus in order to preserve the “FU” option. That got me thinking: for those who want a 20 year mil retirement, is it better to sign a 7-9 yr option…or is it better to sign the minimum and hope to pick up a second bonus after contract expiration?

[ViperStud]

It’s better to go guard, get into an AGR position (fairly easy as a Maj), sign a bonus for the same amount and remain a free agent - if you curtail your orders you only owe money back if you didn’t serve it out. All the benefit, none of the ADSC. 
 

AD bonus is for those who were staying anyway…and complete suckers. 

[HeyWatchThis]

On the reserve side did anyone notice they changed the requirement from 10 YAS to 11 YAS?  Did that happen on the AD side as well?  Did the UPT commitment go from 10 to 11 years?

[Danger41]

On 4/17/2022 at 7:44 PM, Standby said:

I’m already balls deep into my bonus, but some former squadron members reached out to me recently. One in particular is shooting for a mil retirement, but doesn’t want to sign the big bonus in order to preserve the “FU” option. That got me thinking: for those who want a 20 year mil retirement, is it better to sign a 7-9 yr option…or is it better to sign the minimum and hope to pick up a second bonus after contract expiration?

I think if you take a 5 year, you get an extra $100k and $200k extra for the 7-9 but don’t quote me. No extra for the 3 year.

[CaptainMorgan]

I think if you take a 5 year, you get an extra $100k and $200k extra for the 7-9 but don’t quote me. No extra for the 3 year.

It’s not extra, it’s just paid up front with reduced payments each following year.


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