Aviation continuation pay based on aircraft
By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Sep 18, 2007 17:45:47 EDT

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Eligible pilots will receive aviation continuation pay based on the specific aircraft they fly, a change from a simple differentiation between fixed-wing and rotary-wing pilots, according to a Corps-wide message released Monday. The top bonus has also grown to $20,000, up $2,000 from last year.

The changes, listed in MarAdmin 551/07, offer contract options for captains and majors based on their amount of commissioned service. Captains became eligible for the annual bonuses last year.

To be eligible, officers must be within one year of completing any active-duty service commitment for undergraduate aviator training and any additional obligation from the financial assistance program.

Officers must also be qualified to perform operational flying duty, be entitled to aviation career incentive pay and have no more than 13 years of commissioned service at the time they apply for a long-term contract and no more than 11 years of commissioned service when applying for a short-term contract.

Captains who have been passed over for promotion to major are not eligible.

The short-term contract is for captains with at least 24 months before they reach 13 years of commissioned service; the contract length will be the number of months until the officer reaches that milestone.

The long-term contract is available to captains and majors with at least 36 months before they reach 16 years of commissioned service; the contract length will be the number of months until the officer reaches that milestone.

Officers in the following communities are eligible for a $20,000 annual bonus under the long-term contract, or a $10,000 annual bonus from the short-term contract:

* AV-8B Harrier (MOS 7509)

* KC-130 Hercules (MOS 7556/7)

* MV-22 Osprey (MOS 7532)

* UH-1 Huey (MOS 7563)

* AH-1 Super Cobra (MOS 7565)

Those eligible for $15,000 annually under long-term or $7,500 annually under short-term:

* F/A-18 Hornet (MOS 7523)

* CH-53 Sea Stallion (MOS 7564/6)

Those eligible for $12,000 annually under long-term or $6,000 annually under short-term:

* EA-6B Prowler (MOS 7543)

* CH-46 Sea Knight (MOS 7562)

In addition, naval flight officers are eligible to receive $2,500 a year if they sign up for the short-term commitment as captains. NFOs eligible to sign up for the long-term contract will receive $5,000 a year.

The NFO bonuses have decreased from last fiscal year, when officers got $3,000 a year under the short-term contract and $7,000 a year under the long-term contract.

Ellie