Excargodog

USAF pilot retention demo program revealed.

personally, I don’t think it’s that impressive but for those intending to go for 20 anyway it’s a freebie so why not?

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/y...ses-will-work/

rickair7777

Commit for 12 years??? Then fail to promote and wind up as cannon fodder for every bad deal under the sun? That would be a very long decade...

tnkrdrvr

Completely agree. In my experience, guys who declined the bonus could dictate their assignments because they could walk. Guys on the bonus were free chicken that could be abused at will.

Grumble

Not only 12 years, but chump change to what you’ll make at a major of the same period of time.

tnkrdrvr

Of course, these guys/gals first get to survive the new subpar UPT experience for which they still have to give up a full ten years of their lives. Seems kinda wrong that the USAF can chop most of what made UPT valuable and still charge the same commitment.

rickair7777

They don't really have a problem recruiting people. It's retaining them after.

tnkrdrvr

The USAF has a definite training pipeline problem (not a recruiting issue) to which it is responding by cutting training in actual aircraft. If you. One in with a commercial ticket they will stick you in a T1 sim for a few rides and then off to your MWS schoolhouse. That’s only for heavies for now…

rickair7777

I think they're trying to save money in the pipeline. Not sure that has anything to do with entry-level applicants, other than trying to save money by not washing out 70% of them.

AirBear

Doing the calculator at military.com this is what I come up with for an 8yr O-3 drawing BAS, BAQ, and Flight Pay: $123,830. That's using CLT for BAQ which is a low to moderate COL.
Throw in the max bonus for signing your life away ($50K) and you're looking at $173,830 annually.
After making O-4 it's $196,078 total with bonus. O-5 is $204,841.

Looking at someone like Delta you're making over $150K by year 2. And factor the spouse working, something they may not be able to do when getting a PCS every 3-4 years.

The Air Force has never been able to manage their pilot force. In 1989 we were offered a bonus to sign up until year 14. Back then the commitment for pilot training was 6-7 years I think. I was in from spring 1981 until early 1989.
I remember how the wives of the O-4's were so angry because O-3's would be making more if they took the bonus. O-4's weren't eligible. Of course some squadron commanders misused the bonus as a "loyalty test", if you didn't take it you weren't a "team player".

I remember reading in the past few years they changed the promotion percentage from O-3 to O-4 to 100% to encourage pilots to stay in. Basically unless you really screwed up you'd make Major. That was a smart move that might have helped some. But AFAIK they haven't done the one thing many pilots want.....to keep on flying, not do desk jobs. A professional pilot track.

hindsight2020

There is one, its called the ANG/AFRC.