Jump to content

Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)


Toro

Recommended Posts

14 hours ago, SocialD said:

 

 

Scratch steps 3, 4 and 5 and you have the best gig known to man...going on mloa and back full time just ruins that.  For step 1, go ANG (preferably a unit on its own base) over Reserves if at all possible.  If you can't do that, avoid a reserve wing that's embedded in an AD wing, because all you'll get is a slightly different flavor of bullshit.  

checks.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/17/2022 at 3:10 PM, goingkinetic said:

I’m going to have 5.5 yrs of bonus @35k in the reserves. 

Step 1. Go Reserves/ANG

Step 2. Get airline job

Step 3. Mil leave/AGR

Step 4. Reserve Bonus

Step 5. Make fun of all the AD suckers that took the bonus

Step 6. Watch the junior O-3s point and laugh at the AGR as he processes their rescheduled UTAs while they make $30k/mo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Royal said:

Step 6. Watch the junior O-3s point and laugh at the AGR as he processes their rescheduled UTAs while they make $30k/mo.

Seen It All GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

 

Don't worry buddy, I'll always get you that glove save MPA so you don't have to lie to your wife about the airlines not loving you back....again. But you'll have to ask me nicely:thefinger:

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, hindsight2020 said:

Seen It All GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

 

Don't worry buddy, I'll always get you that glove save MPA so you don't have to lie to your wife about the airlines not loving you back....again. But you'll have to ask me nicely:thefinger:

 

Hope my comment was taken as tongue-in-cheek. You're spot on though: People have short memories and tend to forget that the feast can turn into famine instantaneously...And the scheduler they were hassling isn't looking so foolish anymore. Can't tell you how many times I've seen it.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, hindsight2020 said:

Don't worry buddy, I'll always get you that glove save MPA so you don't have to lie to your wife about the airlines not loving you back....again. But you'll have to ask me nicely:thefinger:

 

The best stories are the guys who shit on the airline bros as full timers, then go to the airlines and become some of the worst DSGs you've ever seen.  Then they decide to go back full time and crack down on the very shit in which they were the worst offenders!  Meanwhile I'm over here trying to live my best airline/DSG life and getting caught in the crossfire.  

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Majestik Møøse said:

The Instagrams and Pilot Network FB page got awfully quiet in March 2020, now they’re back to scoffing at anyone staying on AD. Short memories.

Which brings us to step 7: Watching the thrice passed over O-4 who's been furloughed twice (and somehow keeps getting a continuation letter) pointing and laughing at the O-3s who just got furloughed that were pointing and laughing at the AGR on the bonus who was pointing at the poor bastard who's on active duty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another “interesting” thing to behold is the growing number of retiring O-6s I’m noticing—many of whom for the last 6-9 years have been talking down on the dudes leaving AD early for the airlines—are now quietly appearing out of the woodwork in the many different airline hiring WhatsApp and FB groups with interview dates/CJOs…

 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Majestik Møøse said:

The Instagrams and Pilot Network FB page got awfully quiet in March 2020, now they’re back to scoffing at anyone staying on AD. Short memories.

Scoffing is never the right answer, but if you stayed a free agent, you could have been in the November class at AA, with over 2000 pilots to be trained behind you in one year. 

 

Anybody who thinks the airlines will be all boom times is clearly a fool. But anybody who thinks that it will be all bust is also silly. You have to catch the boom times to make up for the bust times, otherwise it's definitely not the right career fit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There’s a whole lot of people out there who evangelize about the life decisions they made, which often seems to be rooted in insecurity about said decisions. The “Bro why would anybody want to be in the Air Force,” guys are almost as bad as the blue Kool Aid drinkers that scoffed at the guys who constantly deployed and got no strats. The most opinionated on both sides just seem to be fishing for reinforcement from the crowd. It never comes across as understanding of a different guy’s perspective, and it certainly isn’t humble.

At the end of your life, the amount of money you have doesn’t really matter as long as your family is safe and secure, just as your personal list of military accomplishments will seem pretty unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Majestik Møøse said:

There’s a whole lot of people out there who evangelize about the life decisions they made, which often seems to be rooted in insecurity about said decisions. The “Bro why would anybody want to be in the Air Force,” guys are almost as bad as the blue Kool Aid drinkers that scoffed at the guys who constantly deployed and got no strats. The most opinionated on both sides just seem to be fishing for reinforcement from the crowd. It never comes across as understanding of a different guy’s perspective, and it certainly isn’t humble.

At the end of your life, the amount of money you have doesn’t really matter as long as your family is safe and secure, just as your personal list of military accomplishments will seem pretty unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

This. There comes a point where you gotta ask: How much money do I need? And once you reach that, it is then up to you to honestly decide if it is worth continuing to work. Maybe you got the FU money and like the job--great. Maybe you get the FU money and decide it's not worth it so you have the ability to walk. Personally I've decided I will LIKELY have my FU money when I retire at 20. Even though the pension is small by comparison to raking it in at the airlines, I just don't need huge sums of money at even this point. Part of it was luck and it's a 12 year Bull market (aside from the bloodbath yesterday), but even in a downturn I figure I can manage with my personal risk tolerance.

The value of a pension/medical is heavily discounted here, but the truth is there is extrinsic value beyond monetary value. 

All that said I've never seen the other side WRT airline life and my situation was different than most. I just don't have any interest in trading in time for huge sums of money if I don't have to.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Money may not buy happiness, but financial security is a real thing. Being able to send your kids to any college they get into is a real change in your quality of life. Knowing that your wife won't be impoverished if you don't make 20 years and Lt Col is also a real difference in your life. The air force may not be able to compete dollar for dollar with a lot of jobs, but pretending any money above $100k salary and tricare is unnecessary is asinine and insulting.

 

 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Money may not buy happiness, but financial security is a real thing. Being able to send your kids to any college they get into is a real change in your quality of life. Knowing that your wife won't be impoverished if you don't make 20 years and Lt Col is also a real difference in your life. The air force may not be able to compete dollar for dollar with a lot of jobs, but pretending any money above $100k salary and tricare is unnecessary is asinine and insulting.
 
 

You do you, bro


Sent from my iPad using Baseops Network mobile app
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1:1:1 he didn’t say you should do that. He said for him it’s enough. For you to say it’s insulting of him to say that to you means you didn’t read it and are easily offended even when someone’s not talking to you. Be happy for him. He seems to found happiness. So what if it’s different from yours.

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Guardian said:

1:1:1 he didn’t say you should do that. He said for him it’s enough. For you to say it’s insulting of him to say that to you means you didn’t read it and are easily offended even when someone’s not talking to you. Be happy for him. He seems to found happiness. So what if it’s different from yours.

Never said he insulted me. I've just sat through enough all calls with NAF or MAJCOM commanders who harp on patriotism to automatically roll my eyes when someone implies money is shallow or meaningless. That is what I find insulting.

That being said, if you enjoy your place in the air force, I'm glad you're happy. Continue to do what works for you.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2022 at 9:50 AM, 1:1:1 said:

Never said he insulted me. I've just sat through enough all calls with NAF or MAJCOM commanders who harp on patriotism to automatically roll my eyes when someone implies money is shallow or meaningless. That is what I find insulting.

That being said, if you enjoy your place in the air force, I'm glad you're happy. Continue to do what works for you.

You are putting words in his mouth. He is saying some people like more money. Some people like serving. Some like both. Some prefer one over the other. Some had a different experience and aren’t as jaded. Some got screwed and are super jaded. Do whatever makes you happy. It’s weird that someone that doesn’t care as much about making more money threatens you. All he is saying is don’t judge people for making their own decisions, including taking the opportunity to go get a bunch more money or getting out and living in a 1 room shack in the woods.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2022 at 5:32 PM, Guardian said:

Pretty awesome. What pursuits are you going to fill your life with QAZqaz?

Basically ride my dirtbike as much as possible in the place I want to live, exercise to stay healthy, and be a stay at home husband. No kids. Wife will work for a year or 2 after I retire and then she will spend her time on the small farm we have. Travel (right next to an AMC base) when she wants to. I don't have and never lived an extravagant life and neither has she, and we tend to keep our expenses low mostly because there isn't much we need.

I'm not totally opposed to working in some capacity but really want to keep the time aspect in check, in the event I get bored. For a few years I've been looking into small business opportunities (private lending, owning a business IE storage facility/lawn care/car detail/CRE) but the time commitment is what turns me off, along with the risks. I just don't want to NEED to work when I hit 20 TAFMS.

Shack in the woods is my kinda thing but wife won't tolerate so there's that

We've had to talk about all our expected expenses to try and make this a reality. Bills, property tax, vehicle turnover, bike parts (haha) etc. I think it is totally doable in our case.

Anyway I'll be tracking that "take rate" website someone put up a few pages back to see how 2022 ACP plays out. This year will be interesting for determining retainment. The world doesn't seem to be getting friendlier lol

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

A lot of guys who calculate going airlines at 12 years of AD service then reserve retirement at 60 something vs 20 year AD retirement then airlines (or whatever) don’t factor in VA disability pay. Granted not everyone is going to get above a 50% rating, but if you do get a 50% to 100% VA disability rating will bring in $12k to $42K-ish a year tax free on top of your military retirement. Something that i personally didn’t find out until after I decided to go for 20 years after I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. From rough math I can see myself getting a disability rating in the 80s or 90s which will be about $25k a year on top of my military retirement. Just figured Id get the word out as it’s something that would have swayed my decision to stay in even more. And if you some how get 100% disability someday you’ll be bringing in 40k on top of your retirement pay tax free and a lot of states have additional perks, for instance texas waives property taxes on your primary residence. 

Edited by Lifer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/6/2022 at 4:28 AM, Lifer said:

A lot of guys who calculate going airlines at 12 years of AD service then reserve retirement at 60 something vs 20 year AD retirement then airlines (or whatever) don’t factor in VA disability pay. Granted not everyone is going to get above a 50% rating, but if you do get a 50% to 100% VA disability rating will bring in $12k to $42K-ish a year tax free on top of your military retirement. Something that i personally didn’t find out until after I decided to go for 20 years after I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. From rough math I can see myself getting a disability rating in the 80s or 90s which will be about $25k a year on top of my military retirement. Just figured Id get the word out as it’s something that would have swayed my decision to stay in even more. And if you some how get 100% disability someday you’ll be bringing in 40k on top of your retirement pay tax free and a lot of states have additional perks, for instance texas waives property taxes on your primary residence. 

Um what?

I separated after my UPT ADSC and am currently collecting $1400/mo (~$17,000/yr) tax free for VA disability, something you can't do while on AD.  So in a sense, I'm collecting almost as much as I would if I would have taken the bonus.  I'm not sure how that would have swayed you even more to stay in AD, because to me that sounds like even more reason to punch.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, BADFNZ said:

Um what?

I separated after my UPT ADSC and am currently collecting $1400/mo (~$17,000/yr) tax free for VA disability, something you can't do while on AD.  So in a sense, I'm collecting almost as much as I would if I would have taken the bonus.  I'm not sure how that would have swayed you even more to stay in AD, because to me that sounds like even more reason to punch.

 

Glad I wasn't the only one confused but that post.  Even, part-timers who retire from the ANG/AFRES start getting their VA disability payments right away.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So here goes a massive thread derail…are you all planning on disability upon separation/retirement? I’m more or less healthy and any issues I’ve got now are from getting older and fatter trying to keep up with my kids and work schedule. I would think that’s 0% disabled?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, Danger41 said:

So here goes a massive thread derail…are you all planning on disability upon separation/retirement? I’m more or less healthy and any issues I’ve got now are from getting older and fatter trying to keep up with my kids and work schedule. I would think that’s 0% disabled?

Plan on applying, even if you think it's nothing.  Tore an ACL, separated a shoulder, jacked up my feet from 20 years of running when I really shouldn't.  I know it's the normal wear and tear of getting older, but if you did it while in uniform, you get a rating for it.  The system is confusing, and stuff counts for far more credit than makes sense, but you don't make the rules.

Take the time before separating, bring the medical records to VSO in your area, and have them go through it.  They'll find something.  Do it before you separate, and it'll be months instead of years on the claim being adjudicated.

The 0% rating means it's service connected, and the VA will treat you for it in addition to the VA loan fees being waved. The 0% doesn't negate the injury, that just happens to be the government set rate for it. 

For retirees, 50% is the magic number.  49% and below, your VA disability pay is deducted from your retirement pay.  Very small tax benefit. 50% and above, retirement and VA disability are both payed out.  VA essentially pays my mortgage right now.      

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...