ForeverFO

In the end, there'd be a $$ level where throwing money works. Ultimately, "everyone has a price."

Back in 1991 when I resigned, if enough $$ had been on the table, I would have considered it. For example, let's say you've got a guy with 10 years in, and the USAF wants to keep him. At some price, the guy will say yes, even if he despises active duty.

"We'll give you $500,000 annually to stay active." Of course most would take it. The point is, would it be worth $500K/year to keep a guy with 2.5 million $$ in experience under his belt? Maybe. But the current nickle and dime stuff is not going to change many minds.

e6bpilot

If it were all about the money the decision would be simple...stay in, take the bonuses, and enjoy a nice total compensation package that includes an awesome multi million dollar retirement after only 20 years of service.

Over the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in retention and dramatic decrease in quality of life initiatives and the ability to concentrate on your core skill set. It is all about checking boxes and ensuring you attend weekly sexual assault training while ensuring proper diversity initiatives are being taken care of as well as attending the most current flavor of JPME.

I actually applaud the AF for getting in front if the problem. Someone there identifies that the floodgates are getting ready to open and it is best to lock in your assets now while it is easy. The rest of the services are just waiting for it to happen. If enough guys take this bonus, then they won't need to do another thing. If enough get out, I suspect they will ratchet it up a notch.

Flyinhigh

It is amazing how history repeats itself over the years. I got out (the first time) in 1974. Big RIF in progress. Post Vietnam Era drawdown. Way too many pilots for the new force so money was thrown at us to get out. Not too many airline jobs out there that year so a lot of guys opted to stay (if they could). Four and a half years later I got a letter offering me a chance to return to Active Duty. Hadn't caught on with an airline yet but was current with a guard unit, so I took the offer and stayed long enough to get my twenty. All during the 80's I can remember the Air Force offering guys money to stay then offering them money to leave, then offering them some kind of retirement package based on their number of years if they had less than 20. They had the banked pilot program also during this time frame. So, the more it changes the more it stays the same. If your timing is right and you want to, you can stay in for a bundle or if your timing is bad, you may walk away with nothing.

Hilltopper89

I have a buddy (non rated CE type) who took a retention bonus back in 2005...something like $15K a year. A year later the AF offered his career field a separation bonus of around $100K. He didn't take it but had he done so he would have received both a retention bonus and a separation bonus in the same year.

KC10 FATboy

I am in the real world and there are plenty of jobs that pay more than Uncle Sam. A lot of folks in the military become lazy and dependent on Uncle Sam and the safety he provides and most don't learn any additional skills besides what they do in the military.

USMCFLYR

Wow.
I never thought of my continuing to fly for the gov't as lazy or some sort of lacking on my part for not going out and learning a different trade/skill set than the one I did in the military, but rather a method of continuing to do what I love to do and still providing an important service to the NAS.
Of course it seems that this board is full of people who disliked their military service a whole lot more than I did.

I'm sure sure about a MULTI-million dollar retirement package (unless you are rolling all aspects of the advantages of retirement into the calculations), but it has most always been the case that the bonuses offered have not been of greater long term value than continuing your career on the outside - especially when the airline were still a very lucrative proposition. It would be interesting to see if the numbers still work out that way with the hits the airlines have taken over the last several years.

e6bpilot

Sorry, yes, I was referring to the total retirement package, not just pay, although an O-5 or O-6 could definitely pull in multi millions just in cash if they stay alive long enough.

I have been with Uncle for 19 years, and am still loving every minute of it. I am just referring to what flying for the government has become as compared to what it used to be. I think that once things look a little better on the outside, people are going to leave in droves, just like they did in the 90's.

Fighting two wars has taken its toll on men, equipment, and families. I have seen it first hand.

Gilligan13

Problem is the airlines have to be hiring beyond the regional level to survive. Of course reserve pay on top of it will help but that's a huge pay cut.

Hacker15e

Here's how it looked 6 years ago when I gonked the numbers and decided to stay in:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/mi...tml#post196328

e6bpilot

Very interesting comparison. I have done some similar stuff. It is tough, however, to capture a lot of the "intangibles" as well as things like health care, etc.

In the end, I have had a great time in the Navy, but my QOL will take a drastic cut starting with my next assignment and going forward from there. Would it be worth it to me to defer a retirement for a bump to O-5 and an extra 7 percent? Not a chance. Not only am I just putting off the inevitable, but I am losing out on potential income and seniority in another career.

I know, for me the choice is easy. For a 10 year guy with debt and no retirement cushion to fall back on, not such an easy choice.