I am about to start OTS for a C-130 job in the AF Reserves. What can one expect to take home every month from OTS through UPT. Any insight would be much appreciated!

 

Google the 2010 military pay tables. You will get...

1. Base Pay O-1 under 2
2. Officer Basic Allowance for Subsistence
3. Flight Pay (ACIP) under 2 (after flight school starts)

If you live out in town, you also get Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). This varies by locale. Do not use the RC/Transient value in the military pay tables, there is a separate table for this based on location and rank. Safe to say you will live on base during OTS, but after that it depends on housing availability.

If you live out in town on temporary duty (usually less than six months) you get per diem. This varies location and will consist of a max lodging rate (use it or lose it) plus a daily M&IE rate. There is another table for this.

Base Pay and ACIP are taxable, allowances and per diem are not.

If you have a family, it's more complicated, you will get everything I mentioned plus possible separation allowances under some circumstances. If you are on temporary duty, you will get BAH for your original home (assuming your family stays there) plus any other allowances/per diem triggered by your housing situation at your duty station.

This should give you a rough estimate, I think I hit the big stuff, but obviously it depends on training location and housing availability there. You probably won't know for sure until the day you arrive at a duty station.

 

You will be an E-5....I repeat, an E-5 and paid as such until graduating from OTS, then paid as an O-1 as stated above. Budget accordingly.

 

In addition to E-5 base pay, you will receive BAS (as mentioned above) which is currently around $220/month. Your BAH will be based on the location of your dependents if you have any. Your E-5 BAH can be calculated here. OTS does not qualify for per diem. IIRC, you should get family separation pay ($250/month) since you are away from your dependents for more than 30 days.

 

What's wrong with E5 pay? I was one for 4 years

 

Nothing if you plan and spend accordingly
But that is a problem a lot of people have at any stage in life!

USMCFLYR

 

Nothing...especially if you can get yourself commissioned and on the O-1E payscale...cha-ching! The key after OTS is if you're a plain-old O-1, get all the O-1E's to buy every round

 

Didn't we do this already??

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/mi...while-upt.html

 

Thanks, I couldn't find the damn thing.

 

I think that depends on the unit. I was at OTS with another Reservist that was paid full per diem, while I was paid partial...something like $20 a day for the three months. Not a bad little bonus at the end, especially when you weren't expecting it.