Posted on Aug 13, 2016
Air Force Drone Drivers Can Cash in with $35,000 Bonus
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Drone drivers can cash in with a new Air Force bonus program with bonuses of $35,000 per year.
The annual bonuses will go to drone pilots who have completed their first tour at the controls and sign up for another tour. The Air Force has struggled for years to get enough pilots to fly its growing fleet of drones, called remotely piloted aircraft, or RPAs in, Pentagon lingo.
"The Air Force recognizes the important contribution RPA pilots make every day, and retaining these valued aviators to execute our current operations and shape the future is critical," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David. Goldfein said in a statement released Thursday. "While we applaud this effort, we recognize we have similar challenges across our entire pilot force, and we'd like the opportunity to offer higher retention bonuses for all our pilots."
The new bonus is $10,000 bigger than an earlier incentive offered to drone pilots. Pilots who took the smaller bonus will be eligible for the bigger payday if they agree to an extra year on duty, the Air Force said.
Full details on the bonus program are expected soon.
With a shortage of pilots in the civilian world, the Air Force has struggled to keep people in uniform.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James released a statement saying the service is working to become a more attractive employer for all its airmen.
"As you've heard me say repeatedly, quality of life, quality of the work environment; these are also important factors," she said. "To that end, we will soon announce ways we will reduce assigned additional duties to give airmen some of their precious time back."
@SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas , Capt Christopher Mueller , CPT (Join to see) , COL Mikel J. Burroughs , Sgt Joe LaBranche , SSgt (Join to see), TSgt Hunter Logan Capt Seid Waddell SrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F. PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom Earley PVT James Strait Alan K. @po1 william "chip" PO1 William "Chip" Nagel @SGT John McConnell SGT John " Mac " McConnell, LTC Stephen C., @sgt robert george SGT Robert George
The annual bonuses will go to drone pilots who have completed their first tour at the controls and sign up for another tour. The Air Force has struggled for years to get enough pilots to fly its growing fleet of drones, called remotely piloted aircraft, or RPAs in, Pentagon lingo.
"The Air Force recognizes the important contribution RPA pilots make every day, and retaining these valued aviators to execute our current operations and shape the future is critical," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David. Goldfein said in a statement released Thursday. "While we applaud this effort, we recognize we have similar challenges across our entire pilot force, and we'd like the opportunity to offer higher retention bonuses for all our pilots."
The new bonus is $10,000 bigger than an earlier incentive offered to drone pilots. Pilots who took the smaller bonus will be eligible for the bigger payday if they agree to an extra year on duty, the Air Force said.
Full details on the bonus program are expected soon.
With a shortage of pilots in the civilian world, the Air Force has struggled to keep people in uniform.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James released a statement saying the service is working to become a more attractive employer for all its airmen.
"As you've heard me say repeatedly, quality of life, quality of the work environment; these are also important factors," she said. "To that end, we will soon announce ways we will reduce assigned additional duties to give airmen some of their precious time back."
@SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas , Capt Christopher Mueller , CPT (Join to see) , COL Mikel J. Burroughs , Sgt Joe LaBranche , SSgt (Join to see), TSgt Hunter Logan Capt Seid Waddell SrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F. PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom Earley PVT James Strait Alan K. @po1 william "chip" PO1 William "Chip" Nagel @SGT John McConnell SGT John " Mac " McConnell, LTC Stephen C., @sgt robert george SGT Robert George
Air Force Drone Drivers Can Cash in with $35,000 Bonus
Posted from military.com
Military Pay
Money
Drones
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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SP5 Mark Kuzinski Very nice - that will get some gamers off the couch hopefully - now if they can make it through basic training. LOL!
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Thanks for sharing the news SP5 Mark Kuzinski that USAF drone pilots can cash in with a new Air Force bonus program with bonuses of $35,000 per year.
I wonder if there are bonuses for the other agency drone pilots.
I wonder if there are bonuses for the other agency drone pilots.
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I'm going to ask an obvious question. Given that most younger people play extremely complex video games, it kind of makes you wonder why they could not easily move into these positions with appropriate additional training and supervision while operating them.
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SGT (Join to see)
The army and marine Corp allows enlisted to operate uas without officers. The Marines only have the shadow but the army has the shadow, hunter (weaponized) and the gray eagle (also weaponized) the gray eagle is a newer and better version of the airforces predator.
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Lt Col (Join to see)
MCPO Roger Collins while they have the skills a lot don't have the patience or discipline to fly one. In video games there is constant actions flying a real one involves long hours of extreme boredom. Also there is no reset button.
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