As the Air Force scrambles to hold on to remotely piloted aircraftdrone pilots to help feed the military's ravenous need for more intelligence, the service is for the first time offering them critical skills retention bonuses of $125,000 if they agree to serve five more years.

In a Tuesday release, the Air Force said that 18X RPA pilots who have accumulated six years of aviation service after completing their undergraduate RPA pilot training — meaning their obligation is expiring — are eligible for the bonus of five annual installments of $25,000. They also have the option of receiving 50 percent of the bonus up front, the Air Force said.

To be eligible, officers also must be active duty lieutenant colonels or below, and must be receiving RPA aviation incentive pay, and they cannot complete 25 years of active-duty service before the five-year bonus period ends.

"It is important to ensure RPA pilots receive a bonus that is equitable to other pilots," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in the release. "Therefore, we worked closely with OSD to implement the CSRB for them and with a commensurate amount this year. These airmen are making extremely important contributions to the fight; we need these professionals to stay with us and we're committed to retaining them in our force."

In July, the Air Force floated a plan to offer $15,000 retention bonuses for commitments of either five years — for a total of $75,000 — or nine years, for a total of $135,000. In an email, Air Force spokeswoman Rose Richeson said that "was a projection," and Tuesday's announcement represents the final, approved version of the bonus program.

Aviator retention pay

The Air Force also said it will allow pilots, whose undergraduate flying training active-duty service commitments are due to expire in fiscal 2017, to sign up for an aviator retention pay bonus this year. In the release, Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly, director of military force management policy, said that those pilots would receive their first payment as soon as their contracts are ratified. The remaining payments would be spread out equally through the rest of the contract term.

Pilots signing up for aviator retention pay agreements of either five or nine years could get $15,000 to $25,000 per year, depending on their aviator category. That means they could get between $75,000 to $225,000 in retention pay.

Some pilots, who signed up for an aviator retention pay contract extensions last year, could also accept an agreement this year that will commit them until they reach 20 years of aviation service

Combat systems officers from the rescue, remotely piloted aircraft and fighter career fields can accept an aviator retention pay agreement for five or nine years — but not exceeding 20 years of aviation service. RPA combat systems officers and air battle managers are also eligible for the same aviator retention pay as other RPA pilots.

To be eligible for aviator retention pay, officers must be lieutenant colonels or below, qualified for operational flying duty and receiving monthly flight pay.

The Air Force said that airmen applying for these bonus programs would likely get their first payments within three weeks of their application's final approval, and processing by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.

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