Oct. 21, 2016: $35K bonuses available for RPA pilots to stay beyond initial commitment

Release No: 98
Oct. 21, 2016

$35K bonuses available for RPA pilots to stay beyond initial commitment

By Kat Bailey
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – The Air Force has authorized $35,000 critical skills retention bonus programs for qualified remotely piloted aircraft pilots.

The bonuses are part of the Air Force’s RPA “Get Well” plan announced by Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James Aug. 10 to increase RPA manning and incentivize RPA pilots within a community that has operated at surge capacity for more than 10 years.

RPA pilots in the 18S, 11U, 11X, 12U and 13U career fields with expiring undergraduate RPA or flying training commitments in fiscal years 16 and 17 are eligible to receive this CSRB of $35,000 per year in exchange for a five-year active-duty service commitment, or in exchange for an additional year of commitment if already on an aviation retention pay bonus or CSRB.

The program manager will send communication directly to affected aviators and encourages all eligible officers to carefully consider the options and make a timely decision. These FY16 programs are retroactive and applications will be accepted by the Air Force Personnel Center through Jan. 31, 2017.

Program eligibility and application details are posted to myPers. Select “Active Duty Officer” from the dropdown menu and search “11U CSRB” or “18X CSRB.”

For more information about Air Force personnel programs, visit myPers. Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following these instructions.

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