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Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)


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Enlisted folks have seen disparities in reenlistment bonuses based on timing, work continued.  Everyone understands that getting a bonus is largely a product of luck and timing.  Late Rates and priors generally don't see them on the pilot side because big blue figures (usually correctly) that someone whose UPT ADSC takes them past 15 years or so is probably going to stick around for the next 5 years without a bonus.  If I was in charge of pilot manning, I'd offer folks the bonus to stick around even if it took them well past 20.

I'm not 100% sure but I think in recent years they have removed any verbiage WRT bonuses and 15 years total time... Again this is how I am interpreting the current rules. And as "one of those guys" I'm not going to question it if they will offer me $300k over 5 years causing me to serve 21 years instead of 20. Here's to hoping there is some incentive added to the last (painfully undermanned) 5 years of my career.

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8 hours ago, ILoveScotch said:

Late to rate: Not the same aviation commitment or experience level.

Prior enlisted: Same as above.

Missed gate months: Thats a lot of missed gate months.

 

I see your point. But now instead of $25k/yr difference in pay, it's a $60k/yr difference. I can see there being trouble. 

Not the same aviation commitment?  Pretty sure it's 10 years, no matter what you did prior.

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I was under the impression when I went from e to o,  our e time could not be held against us and we were allowed to serve a full 20 o years, regardless of our tafmsd.   I'd be pretty salty of they didn't offer us (prior e) continuation bonuses with our year group peers simply because of our enlisted time. 

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58 minutes ago, Nobody said:

I was under the impression when I went from e to o,  our e time could not be held against us and we were allowed to serve a full 20 o years, regardless of our tafmsd.   I'd be pretty salty of they didn't offer us (prior e) continuation bonuses with our year group peers simply because of our enlisted time. 

Get to the end of your pilot training commitment, you can sign a bonus or get out.  There used to be stipulations that would totally screw prior E's or prior O's, not sure if that still exists.  Hopefully those do not exist anymore, but they might.  

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7 hours ago, ILoveScotch said:

I dunno, then ask Pawnman, I guess. It was his argument.

I know several people that are still flying, but were told that they were not eligible because they had too much active federal service time when their UPT commitment came up, including enlisted time.  Somehow, they manage to do the job alongside their brethren who got the bonus because they started UPT right after graduating college.  Someone else already brought up the point that enlisted troops have shifting re-enlistment bonuses every year, but somehow folks in the same AFSC do the same job with the same training without too much issue.  I'm not sure why anyone thinks people would suddenly stop doing their jobs if the bonus went to $60K instead of $25K.

I'm also not sure why you'd think these guys don't have the same training or experience.  Sure, the late-to-rate officers went to UPT later than many...but they are also rarely tapped for FAIP, ALO, or UPT instructors.  By the time the UPT commitment is up, most of them have as much, if not more, experience in the aircraft as the guys who commissioned and went straight to UPT.  Maybe other communities don't take care of these guys, but they were usually priorities to upgrade if they weren't dumbasses so they could meet the promotion boards as instructors.

tl;dr - there are plenty of circumstances that make people ineligible for the current pilot bonus.  I don't see how changing the numbers will cause vast amounts of people who signed on for the $25K bonus to suddenly find a way to quit.

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Straight to 60K will put the bonuses ahead of what military neurosurgeons make (if you include ACIP). I have a feeling that going straight to 60k isn't going to happen. Although I have to say most military fields are underpaid and deserve more.

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I think with an increase in allowable bonus the AF should (will?) try to tailor the bonus offered to folks based on core AFSC and manning for that year group. 11F and RPA folks will go straight to $60K. I've heard some discussion on this as well as an even more "personal" bonus where WOs or folks with other specialized skills may be offered more than a standard line flyer. 

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On July 26, 2016 at 0:39 AM, backrow said:

Straight to 60K will put the bonuses ahead of what military neurosurgeons make (if you include ACIP). I have a feeling that going straight to 60k isn't going to happen. Although I have to say most military fields are underpaid and deserve more.

Agreed.  If the bonus had adjusted for inflation, $25K in 1999 dollars would be ~$35K in 2015 dollars, so $60K would be a pretty dramatic increase.

 

14 hours ago, osulax05 said:

I think with an increase in allowable bonus the AF should (will?) try to tailor the bonus offered to folks based on core AFSC and manning for that year group. 11F and RPA folks will go straight to $60K. I've heard some discussion on this as well as an even more "personal" bonus where WOs or folks with other specialized skills may be offered more than a standard line flyer. 

That being said, agree with the above...for critically manned fields, we shouldn't be afraid to go to full mil-power and throw all the money authorized at the problem.  That likely still won't move the needle as much as frankly much cheaper QOL factors that the AF could change, but it probably wouldn't hurt.

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I think with an increase in allowable bonus the AF should (will?) try to tailor the bonus offered to folks based on core AFSC and manning for that year group. 11F and RPA folks will go straight to $60K. I've heard some discussion on this as well as an even more "personal" bonus where WOs or folks with other specialized skills may be offered more than a standard line flyer. 

What happens if an 11H/M/S gets an RPA assignment after signing a lessor bonus? Maybe 11Fs deserve more, since they can't be instantly replaced, but big blue has shown itself capable of converting anyone to an 11U.

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What happens if an 11H/M/S gets an RPA assignment after signing a lessor bonus? Maybe 11Fs deserve more, since they can't be instantly replaced, but big blue has shown itself capable of converting anyone to an 11U.

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It's the devil's money, and they named their price at 25k.

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2 hours ago, nsplayr said:

Agreed.  If the bonus had adjusted for inflation, $25K in 1999 dollars would be ~$35K in 2015 dollars, so $60K would be a pretty dramatic increase.

 

That being said, agree with the above...for critically manned fields, we shouldn't be afraid to to to full mil-power and throw all the money authorized at the problem.  That likely still won't move the needle as much as frankly much cheaper QOL factors that the AF could change, but it probably wouldn't hurt.

Holding my breath for that 12B bonus, since we're now critically manned.  Any day now...

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Yeah, the standard IDLE / MAX reaction.  My AFSC is critically manned but the increased production is only creating more problems.  Now we should have a lot of popcorn (mentoring in progress) but only three guys to lead as blue one.  Of those, one is sitting SOF, the other is TOP3 and God forbid someone has to take leave because the CC is at standup and is unavailable to fly.

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Agreed. If the bonus had adjusted for inflation, $25K in 1999 dollars would be ~$35K in 2015 dollars, so $60K would be a pretty dramatic increase

Yes however the bonus was $25k in 1990 as well so that would be your base analysis point.

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Bonus take rates updated today, CAO 1 Aug for Pilots:

FY16: 42.9% (FY15: 217, FY16: 105, total 322 out of 750 eligible)

FY17: 24.8% (FY16: 203, total 203 of 820 eligible)

60 days left. 

Wow... just wow.

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1 hour ago, Herk Driver said:

I love papers like this, great read and thanks for the link.

Pretty much says the more things change, the more things stay the same. Also, that the "boots on the ramp" was an effective policy to make sure people signed the bonuses.

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