fy 2011 pilot bonus

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01-15-2011 | 06:11 AM

#21

Cioran

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Absolutely--the advice I give to people is that it is hard for me to give advice since everyone's situation is and becomes more unique as time goes on. What may be an easy decision for you, with no regrets, may be a different story for others.

01-15-2011 | 09:25 AM

#22

thurberm

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From: Challenger 300/350 FO

Quote:

Originally Posted by CheyDogFlies

Or there's 2006 (I think?):

Offer ~$100k to stay in (ACIP)
Offer ~$100k to get out early (VSP)

Hey! Free money for everyone!
This from your USAF Personnel/Rocket Surgery/Retainment office.

Can you guess which group got more takers?

Straight from the "AFPC is a bunch of morons and AF personnel management is a joke" file:

The US Air Force was actually paying me a $15K a year bonus to NOT RETIRE after I hit 20. Apparently, there was a shortage of old pilots in a community that I used to fly in. SO I took there bonus (don't have to hit ME in the head with a brick...).

That lasted right up until they forced me to retire a month ago because the Air Force was over it's Congressionally mandated end strength. Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing at AFPC. The sad part: It's par for the course...

01-15-2011 | 01:07 PM

#23

Grumble

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Quote:

Originally Posted by crewdawg

One thing I missed WRT retirement...even it, may not be safe in todays cash strapped environment. Now, I think it's highly unlikely that it would ever happen, but who knows. If this happens, our military will be gutted of all of our top notch people. What's worse is that if does pass, and you have less than 15 years of service, you are screwed. Oh ya, that whole pension at 20....we were just kidding!

They already tried to take retirees free healthcare a while back. Thanks to Col Bud Day, we still have that benefit!

Second task force seeks to cut retired pay - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Well, should make the argument of the financial benefits of staying or going at 10 years a no brainer.

01-15-2011 | 05:08 PM

#24

thrust

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Quote:

Originally Posted by crewdawg

If they had any idea of the perfect storm brewing over the next few years, they would keep the bonus.

-10 year guys reaching their ADSC soon
-FedEx/Legacies/Southwest -- potentially huge hiring coming soon
-Longer deployments
-Reflective belt madness
-Non-Vol 365s
-UAVs
-Fewer cockpits
-Fewer hours
-Ridiculous PME (read: correspondence prior to in-residence)
-More with less
-No bonus (potentially)
-Little to no emphasis on actual flying in the OPR process
-Leadership more worried about BS, than THE MISSION!
-Masters requirement (what's that..I have to get my masters in my off time! That's cool, I didn't enjoy the few hours a night, I had with my wife and kids anyway!)

It will be interesting to see what the next 5-7 years has in store for big-blue....

Exactly. To say this isn't the Air Force I thought I was getting into would be an understatement. I'd say about 85% of the folks I work with would leave tomorrow if they could, it's that bad. 10% would stay in but turn down the bonus to effectively become a free agent, ready to tell Big Blue to go **** themselves at a moments notice. And about 5% are the rah-rah koolaid drinking future generals.

01-15-2011 | 06:15 PM

#25

crewdawg

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Quote:

Originally Posted by thrust

10% would stay in but turn down the bonus to effectively become a free agent, ready to tell Big Blue to go **** themselves at a moments notice.

Ya, that way they can 7 (er 3) day opt! <----This should tell you something. So were so many people dropping 7 day opt that big blue decided to drop it to 3 to give them less time. 3 days to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives! But ya, big blue cares...

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrust

And about 5% are the rah-rah koolaid drinking future generals.

ie...the people who can't get a job on the outside.

01-15-2011 | 07:59 PM

#26

USMCFLYR

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From: FAA 'Flight Check'

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrust

Exactly. To say this isn't the Air Force I thought I was getting into would be an understatement. I'd say about 85% of the folks I work with would leave tomorrow if they could, it's that bad. 10% would stay in but turn down the bonus to effectively become a free agent, ready to tell Big Blue to go **** themselves at a moments notice. And about 5% are the rah-rah koolaid drinking future generals.

Thrust -

You aren't saying that every one who stays in and makes General is some undeserving "rah-rah koolaid drinking [person" are you?

There are plenty of those and at the same time I have known some great people to have stayed in and made General. The present USMC Commandant as my second Group Commander and personally treated me very well. I am certainly glad that he has risen to the position that he has and I hope for (expect that he will do) good things for the Corps.

USMCFLYR

01-15-2011 | 08:03 PM

#27

USMCFLYR

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From: FAA 'Flight Check'

Quote:

Originally Posted by crewdawg

ie...the people who can't get a job on the outside.

You must be seeing different people than I am then because the O-6s and above that I know (or have met and/or worked with) have been highly sought after both in private industry and the Defense sector. Did you see that recent article about them acting as mentors to the active duty leadership and the amount of money they were making???

No one can make that much money for doing so little, with such little expectations (except for politicans themselves) wwithout someone taking notice and trying to changes the rules!

01-16-2011 | 05:28 AM

#28

bschref

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From: G-IV & G-200

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cioran

... I took the to-20-yrs, and to be honest kind of regreted it later on, but as I come close to retirement am again relatively pleased to be reaching the finish line with a retirement, but personally, with a little 20-20 hindsight, I wouldn't recommend that anyone sign away 10 yrs with the stroke of a pen.

I, on the other hand, took the 5-year bonus to keep options open but really planning to re sign again in 5 (working on the assumption many had that "the bonus will never go away.") Well, the bonus did go away - for my year group. Not much hiring on the outside then - so I stayed in, with the 25k / yr pay cut, and now here I am past 20 YAS. Hindsight: should've gone with the long-term contract.

01-16-2011 | 06:10 AM

#29

crewdawg

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Quote:

Originally Posted by USMCFLYR

No one can make that much money for doing so little, with such little expectations (except for politicans themselves) wwithout someone taking notice and trying to changes the rules!

You're right that was a bad generalization on my part. I should have deleted the "generals" part. I knew plenty who stayed, who are not drinkers of the kool-aid.

01-16-2011 | 02:37 PM

#30

crewdawg

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Quote:

Originally Posted by crewdawg

UPDATE! Quoted from another forum.

Quote:

Speaking of this, our boss also said that people that are getting voluntold to do a 365 are now doing the 3-day option and separating at 18 years of service, causing AFPC to consider doing away with the 3-day option entirely. I guess for anyone planning on doing their twenty, a 365 will be a requirement in the very near future.

HA...why does this not surprise me.