Air Force announces fiscal 2004 ACP program

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  • By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  The Air Force is retaining the most popular Aviator Continuation Pay options under a fiscal 2004 program, with bonus options offered to eligible pilots, navigators and air battle managers.

For eligible pilots, a five-year and a “to 20” years of aviation service option will be offered at $25,000 a year. Eligible navigators and air battle managers will be offered bonus options at $15,000 a year. But unlike previous programs, three-year and “to 25” years of aviation service bonus options will not be offered, according to Lt. Col. Harrison Smith, chief of the Air Force rated force policy branch at the Pentagon.

The fiscal 2004 program is designed to improve rated-inventory shortfalls by tailoring active-duty service commitments to specific year groups of experienced aviators, Smith said. The goal is to provide incentives for targeted year groups of aviators to make a long-term commitment to the Air Force to stabilize the rated force through 2012 when rated-inventory projections are slated to improve.

The ACP program is a retention program and force-shaping tool tailored to help meet rated retention goals, Smith explained. It targets specific rated-officer demographic groups to stabilize the inventory, provide accurate forecasts and ultimately, maintain the Air Force’s warfighting capability.

“It’s making adjustments to better shape the rated force by eliminating ACP programs that didn’t work, and keeping programs that do,” he said. “Bonus dollar amounts remain unchanged in the fiscal 2004 plan.”

Officials said the bonus “take rate” for 2003 doubled that of 2001. The ACP rate for pilots rose from 30 percent in 2001 to 46.8 percent in 2002 and to more than 60 percent in 2003. The “take-rate” for navigators and air battle managers was 55.3 percent and 75.9 percent, respectively. ACP was not offered to navigators or air battle managers until 2003.

An air battle manager is a rated officer who plans and executes theater air operations.

Maj. Kevin Therrien, chief of rated force policy for mobility forces, said Air Force officials continually evaluate the right mix of options and bonuses to meets its goals each year.

“As rated inventories and requirements continually change, ACP changes, enhancing retention and aiding in the effective management of those inventories,” Therrien said.

The major outlined some of the program specifics that will be detailed soon in comprehensive Air Staff and Air Force Personnel Center implementation messages.

“The pilot, navigator and ABM bonus options will not include a three-year option or a ‘to 25’ years of aviation service option,” Therrien said. “In addition, the initially eligible pilot lump sum payment will be adjusted to a cap of $100,000, proportionally consistent with the elimination of the ‘to 25’ YAS option.

“Pilots who remain under a fiscal 2003 or earlier standard (non-amended) ACP agreement, excluding those on existing ‘to 20’ and ‘to 25’ YAS agreements, will have the option to extend their current ACP agreement by 5 years or ‘to 20’ YAS. The extension must be for a minimum additional commitment of 5 years beyond the current ACP agreement active-duty service commitment.”

An important difference this year, the major said, is the change in eligibility criteria for navigators.

“The fiscal 2003 ACP program targeted those navigators close to retirement and proved a great success,” he said. “The new program shifts the eligibility criteria to between nine years of aviation service and 18 years of military service in order to target (low-production) year groups and staff-eligible officers.”

Aviator continuation pay began in 1989 to improve rated-officer shortfalls caused by increased major airline hiring, Therrien said. The current downturn in major airline hiring has corresponded to an increase in the number of rated officers taking ACP options. This is good for the Air Force because it increases rated-inventory stability and saves a valuable resource in our experienced aviators, Therrien said.

The ACP program will be continually evaluated, Therrien said. Appropriate adjustments in eligibility, agreement types, and payment rates and options will be made in fiscal 2005. ACP is not an entitlement pay, and there is no guarantee it will be made available in the future, he added.

To learn more about ACP, go to http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/acp.