nfnsquared

As someone already said, he'd be better off using his brain to help the missile wings figure out how to pass an NSI, they're 0 for 3 in the last 6 months....I feel their pain, I'm a BUFF driver....

The first bonus (7 years at $25K, half up front) kept me in after my UPT committment (6 years) was up and the second bonus cinched the deal: at the 13 year point, I signed up for the 25 years deal (aviation service) at $25K/year. I could've selected to 20 years, but decided to go to 25. As it turns out, it was the smartest decision I could have made. ACP kept me in, otherwise I would have been gone.

Hacker15e

Major Missile stopped by Baseops.net to defend his paper:

Pilot Bonus, ACP - Baseops Forums

Post #112

CAFB 04-12

Sheep, meet den of wolves!

Seriously though, it would be nice to see an academic counterpoint to Maj Maue's research, not just the typical emotional responses one can expect when you threaten to take away one's $25k/year. There are many salient points made on BaseOps.net, but they are sometimes lost in the banter. Since the article was published in an academic (muffled laugh) journal (Air and Space Power) a response is perfectly in order. But that requires research, data, and writing -- all of which I gave up when OU handed me my Masters.

Still, I simply can't imagine that someone would stay in to 20 because they absolutely love the state of today's Air Force. But that's just me.

Sputnik

You're so miserable you want out, but are willing to swallow your misery for $25k/yr?

Hard to for me to say. I took the bonus because it was there, but I don't know how much a role it played in me staying in. I had always planned on getting out, but when the time came I realized I was doing what I wantedand there wasn't anything on the outside I wanted more. The $25k really was a "bonus."

LivingInMEM

I actually think there are plenty of people who stayed in for the bonus, I know of a few personally. While I don't think it will keep the "miserable" people in, it will sway a lot who are on the fence.

Besides, I think there are plenty of USAF officers (too many, in my opinion) who are pretty risk-averse, both in their professional and personal lives. That being said, the guarantee of a gov't paycheck that mimics or exceeds what they could get on the outside is plenty to sway those that resemble that description.

Marvin

Gotta love those risk-averse officers who take the bonus and stay in so they can get deployed to Iraq ... like I did ...

Seriously, I took the bonus when it became available, and it was a definite factor in my decision to stay in. However, at the time, the airlines were hiring like crazy and most of them still had defined-benefit retirement plans as well. The environment is a bit different today. Still, as a Lt Col with 18 years in, I was making about $145,000 a year -- pretty competitive with many airlines today.

LivingInMEM

I think you know what I meant by risk-averse.

Being risk-averse does not prevent you from going to the desert. Being risk-averse affects what you do when you get there. All of our leadership that is afraid to let the pilots/crews go out and employ their weapon systems in accordance with their interpretation of the ROE with no "daddy, may I" from above are risk averse. All of the leadership that wants all ordnance employed from a UAV where they can watch and approve from a live feed are risk averse. And many who stayed in the military SOLELY because it works out to be a pretty decent, but more importantly stable, paycheck are risk-averse. I am not saying that taking the bonus makes you risk-averse, but there are many who took the bonus and stayed in for just that reason.

Not good or bad, just a fact - and I know many who admitted to doing just that.

CAFB 04-12

I wouldn't say I'm "miserable." I'm not sure what my plan will be once 2014 comes along. I think perhaps $25k/year would be incentive enough to stay to the bitter end, however I do think that my perspective will change if that $25k/year carrot is taken away.