Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

[bad_timing]

"Significant changes to the FY23 Legacy AvB Program include an increase in the monetary cap from $35,000 per year up to $50,000 per year for eligible officers."

I wasn't expecting legacy to get up to 50k. Not terrible. I'm curious which shreds will get it, guess we have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

[DFRESH]

3 hours ago, 504PIR said:

 

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3415903/air-force-announces-fy23-legacy-aviation-bonus-program/

Yet somehow there's nothing in myFSS.... Surprised face 

[brwwg&b]

46 minutes ago, DFRESH said:

Yet somehow there's nothing in myFSS.... Surprised face 

The article says it'll be released on 6 June on myFSS. Reading is tough

[SocialD]

1 hour ago, brwwg&b said:

The article says it'll be released on 6 June on myFSS. Reading is tough

 

In his defense, they also said my early retirement submission in VPC would "seamlessly transition to myFSS"...nearly 5 months and still waiting (historically has taken a few weeks).  As of yesterday they are still "working out some bugs, check back later."  Hopefully that "later" is before I retire at the end of the month.  

[uhhello]

2 hours ago, brwwg&b said:

The article says it'll be released on 6 June on myFSS. Reading is tough

I am indeed not a reader

Edited June 5 by uhhello

[bad_timing]

The myFSS page is updated.

[brwwg&b]

20 hours ago, SocialD said:

In his defense, they also said my early retirement submission in VPC would "seamlessly transition to myFSS"...nearly 5 months and still waiting (historically has taken a few weeks).  As of yesterday they are still "working out some bugs, check back later."  Hopefully that "later" is before I retire at the end of the month. 

Not surprised, they've rarely been able to even stay above water, much less manage anything "seamlessly".

I hope someone is fighting to push the rope for you though, that sucks.

[brwwg&b]

Looks similar to ones in the past, except now there's a graduated $ increase from 3-4 years (35K) to 5-7 year (42.5K) or 8-12 year (50K) options.

Since this is the "Legacy" AvB, it doesn't apply yet for people who are approaching but not AT their ADSC.

11Rs still get some form of screwed (35K max, except U2 pilots with RDTM EH...whatever that means) I think they're only trying to screw non U-2 11Rs this time.

Open until 15 September, will be interesting to see if there's any difference from historical take rates...

[brabus]

Imagine signing a 12 yr bonus…I’d rather drag my balls through 69 miles of broken glass covered in hot sauce. 

[Bigred]

27 minutes ago, brabus said:

Imagine signing a 12 yr bonus…I’d rather drag my balls through 69 miles of broken glass covered in hot sauce. 

I don’t understand the rational behind that. 12 years would put an initial eligible dude on the hook till 21-22 years, if I’m understanding it correctly. 

[Standby]

26 minutes ago, Bigred said:

I don’t understand the rational behind that. 12 years would put an initial eligible dude on the hook till 21-22 years, if I’m understanding it correctly. 

I’d say closer to 23-24…so essentially a dude gunning for O-6 or beyond.  

[Pooter]

It's wild because the dudes taking the 12 year 50 k extension were probably staying anyway. So now big AF just has to pay them more.

The actual crux of the retention problem is the 90% of 2nd yr majors  drowning in queep who are non school selects.. reading the tea leaves that a laughlin tour or bullshit Africa 365 are in their very near future. So maybe getting paid more to fly at the airlines with precisely 0% chance of a deployment and 0% you get domiciled in Laughlin is pretty attractive.

If the Air Force  is actually serious about fixing retention, they need to offer stupid money in the first few years after the ADSC ends.

 

[Danger41]

The 365 fear is out there but does anyone know anyone that actually got a non-vol 365?

[Duck]

Any word on the ANG bonus for AGRs?


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

[SocialD]

58 minutes ago, Danger41 said:

The 365 fear is out there but does anyone know anyone that actually got a non-vol 365?

 

 

Yes, without much thought, I can think of 3...Died, Djibouti and somewhere else in the middle east.  2 of them were within 2 years of 20.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Duck said:

Any word on the ANG bonus for AGRs?

 

 

It's out, not good enough.   Big bonus (3 years) = $50k, small bonus = $30k.

[Danger41]

9 minutes ago, SocialD said:

 

 

Yes, without much thought, I can think of 3...Died, Djibouti and somewhere else in the middle east.  2 of them were within 2 years of 20.

Damn man, that’s wild. Only guys I know that did that were volunteers for air advisor stuff. Plenty of guys got tagged for BS deployments for a few months but not 365’s. That sucks big time.

[brabus]

1 hour ago, Danger41 said:

The 365 fear is out there but does anyone know anyone that actually got a non-vol 365?

I know 4. Maybe fighters got hit harder than others?

[brabus]

56 minutes ago, Duck said:

Any word on the ANG bonus for AGRs?


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

It’s at FSS and CCs for each wing. $50k for 3-6 years (11X full time orders, excludes RPA). It’s massively better than the AD bonus, as expected. 

Edited June 7 by brabus

[StrikeOut312]

I know one guy in the tanker world that did a 365 a few years ago. In the last year, my squadron got 3x 180s—2 guys got stuck with them for ADSC/bonus reasons, 1 guy 7-day opted.

I think it’s disingenuous to completely dog the AF and denigrate folks that stay in. Around the 10-12 year point, the AF is a comfortable, easy job with good pay and benefits. For some folks and their families, sticking around in the AF is the right and easy call. A close friend of mine said that for these guys, the bonus is an entitlement—almost a “thank you” for sticking around.

I know I’m not a golden boy on the path, and I’ve known for at least a couple years I’m probably gonna split when the ADSC is up next summer. The bonus is too little, too late, with too many unknowns—where am I gonna PCS? Where will the AF TDY/deploy folks? What’s the next once-in-a-career thing I’ll experience?

[StoleIt]

5 minutes ago, brabus said:

It’s at FSS and CCs for each wing. $50k for 3-6 years (11X full time orders, excludes RPA). It’s massively better than the AD bonus, as expected. 

Schweet.

Don't happen to have a source/memo for that though? Nobody on my end has heard it.

[brabus]

I only have a screen shot, but will post the actual source when I can get it. 

[pawnman]

3 hours ago, Danger41 said:

The 365 fear is out there but does anyone know anyone that actually got a non-vol 365?

Multiple people. Including a guy who got out at 18 years instead of taking the 365, walked across the street, and joined the reserve unit. 

[SocialD]

57 minutes ago, StrikeOut312 said:

I know one guy in the tanker world that did a 365 a few years ago. In the last year, my squadron got 3x 180s—2 guys got stuck with them for ADSC/bonus reasons, 1 guy 7-day opted.

I think it’s disingenuous to completely dog the AF and denigrate folks that stay in. Around the 10-12 year point, the AF is a comfortable, easy job with good pay and benefits. For some folks and their families, sticking around in the AF is the right and easy call. A close friend of mine said that for these guys, the bonus is an entitlement—almost a “thank you” for sticking around.

I know I’m not a golden boy on the path, and I’ve known for at least a couple years I’m probably gonna split when the ADSC is up next summer. The bonus is too little, too late, with too many unknowns—where am I gonna PCS? Where will the AF TDY/deploy folks? What’s the next once-in-a-career thing I’ll experience?

 

 

One classmate has done a single ops tour and has spent the rest of his career bouncing between Luke and Eglin.  I think he's going to extend/PCA at Eglin to finish his 20.  I get why he stays, hard to leave when you've been shielded from deployments most of your career and the ops tempo is pretty decent.  The rest who have done ops to ops, all bailed to the ANG or just got out after their UPT ADSC.  I have multiple examples of these two tales and they all pretty much have the same result.  ...a tale of two careers.  

 

Break break

1. Airline guys within 5 years of their 20.

2. Airline guys who commute.  

 

The bonus takers in my squadron fall into the two categories above.  The guys in the number 1 category would have stayed regardless of the bonus.  The $50k may have swayed a guy that falls into the the #2 category, though I think his cross country commute to ANC has more to do with that.  

 

 

55 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

Schweet.

Don't happen to have a source/memo for that though? Nobody on my end has heard it.

 

 

PM sent

[Pooter]

4 hours ago, StrikeOut312 said:

I know one guy in the tanker world that did a 365 a few years ago. In the last year, my squadron got 3x 180s—2 guys got stuck with them for ADSC/bonus reasons, 1 guy 7-day opted.

I think it’s disingenuous to completely dog the AF and denigrate folks that stay in. Around the 10-12 year point, the AF is a comfortable, easy job with good pay and benefits. For some folks and their families, sticking around in the AF is the right and easy call. A close friend of mine said that for these guys, the bonus is an entitlement—almost a “thank you” for sticking around.

I know I’m not a golden boy on the path, and I’ve known for at least a couple years I’m probably gonna split when the ADSC is up next summer. The bonus is too little, too late, with too many unknowns—where am I gonna PCS? Where will the AF TDY/deploy folks? What’s the next once-in-a-career thing I’ll experience?

100% agree and I'm not bashing the dudes that want to stay in. If I was on the golden path for school and some joint gig in DC my calculus might change too. Because I'm fairly sure the #1 guy at my base doesn't have to worry about getting sent to Laughlin. 
 

But my point is if the AF wants the bonus to actually do anything for retention it needs to be very convincing money in the short term targeted squarely at the dudes getting out in droves. For the guys on the fence about getting out, taking on an additional 10 year commitment is a literal joke.. for any amount of money. 
 

You solve the retention problem by targeting the middle 50% of dudes and convincing them it's worth their while to stay another 2-3 years. 

Edited June 7 by Pooter

[StrikeOut312]

1 hour ago, Pooter said:

 

You solve the retention problem by targeting the middle 50% of dudes and convincing them it's worth their while to stay another 2-3 years. 

Concur. I think the AF is trying with the base-of-preference tied to the bonus, it’s just too late—and I don’t know how well it’ll work out.

I’d be intrigued by a one year bonus. I’m even intrigued by the possibility of sticking around as a free agent. But Guard/Reserve with a line number addresses the .mil flying and padding the bank account. Or so the old guys on here tell us…