AF gets bigger bang for EOD bucks

Photo By Kat Bailey | The Air Force wants to give Explosive Ordnance Disposal senior noncommissioned officers selective retention bonuses of $30,000 to $75,000 if they’ll agree to stay in EOD for a minimum of three more years. The Air Force is waiving time-in-service restrictions up to high year of tenure limits in exchange for signed service agreements. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Apryl Hall)  

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, TX, UNITED STATES

01.31.2019

Story by Kat Bailey 

Air Force's Personnel Center

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – The Air Force has been granted an exception to policy enabling it to offer Selective Retention Bonuses to a wider population of Explosive Ordnance Disposal senior noncommissioned officers, if they agree to continue serving in EOD for a minimum of three years.

As an exception to policy, the Air Force is offering this SRB instead of a Critical Skills Retention Bonus to SNCOs who have completed more than 20 but less than 25 years of active duty and who serve as EOD specialists in Air Force Specialty Code 3E8X1. The bonus amount for a three-year service agreement is $30,000. The amount for four years is $50,000 and a five-year service agreement is $75,000.

“The SRB program is a monetary incentive paid to Airmen serving in certain selected critical military skills who reenlist for additional obligated service,” said Edgar Holt, Reenlistments Program Manager at the Air Force’s Personnel Center. “The bonus is intended to encourage qualified enlisted personnel to reenlist in areas where we have retention shortfalls or high training costs.”

Under this new authority, master sergeants who accept an SRB at 20 years of Total Active Federal Military Service or more may have their high year of tenure adjusted up to 25 years. Senior master sergeants who accept an SRB at 20 years TAFMS or more may have their HYT adjusted up to 28 years.

“In order to extend and receive this SRB, Airmen must have a service-directed retainability requirement such as Post 9/11 GI Bill® transfer, DEROS extension or Permanent Change of Station, for example,” Holt said.

This bonus is effective Jan. 29, although retroactive payments are not authorized. For more information regarding the SRB program, visit the myPers (https://mypers.af.mil/) website or contact your local Military Personnel Flight Career Development section.

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• Date Taken: 01.31.2019
• Date Posted: 01.31.2019 15:45
• Story ID: 309028
• Location: JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, TX, US