KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The Air Force Reserve has more opportunities for future and currently serving Airmen to receive bonuses for re-enlisting, retraining or enlisting for the first time.
Twenty-four Air Force Specialty Codes were added to the Air Force Reserve Command’s officer and enlisted bonus incentive program for this fiscal year, making 50 career fields eligible for bonuses, according to the AF Reserve Officer and Enlisted Bonus Incentive Guide for Fiscal Year 2023.
Some of the new career fields added include cyber warfare operations, various maintenance fields, engineering, public affairs and aerospace medical services.
“The selective retention bonus program is an incentive for experienced Airmen in career fields that are undermanned or come with high training price tags,” said Lt. Col. Costau Bastien, 403rd Force Support Squadron commander. “This includes affiliation bonus that are offered to officers and Airmen who transfer directly from active duty into the AF Reserve and accession bonuses for people joining the Reserve for the first time. Affiliation bonuses may be up to $20,000 and accession bonuses can be up to $10,000, both of which will be paid out over a period of three years.”
According to Bastien, the top 12 career fields with vacancies in the 403rd Wing eligible for these incentives include: airlift and special mission aircraft maintenance; mobility Air Force integrated communication, navigation mission; mobility pilot; loadmaster; aircraft fuel systems; aerospace propulsion; aerospace ground equipment; aircraft hydraulic systems; aircraft electrical and environmental systems; maintenance management productions; survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE); and education and training.
There are also several career fields that are eligible for retraining bonuses in hard-to-fill fields such as special warfare, explosive ordnance disposal, SERE, education and training, paralegal and air transportation. For the complete list, Common Access Card or user login in to MyPers is required to download the details at https://mypers.af.mil/app/answers/detail/a_id/53322/p/16%2C17.
Another program that is also available to help reservists in critical career fields is the Inactive Duty for Training Travel Reimbursement program, said Bastien. The FY23 Guide released by AFRC can also be downloaded from MyPers at https://mypers.af.mil/app/answers/detail/a_id/53315/p/16%2C17.
“This program reimburses eligible reservists commuting 150 or more miles up to $500 for their travel costs to Unit Training Assemblies,” he said.
“With the competitive labor market, these bonuses and incentives can help us recruit and retain Airmen we need to fill these positions and ensure we keep the 403rd Wing ‘Ready Now,’ our Chief of the Air Force Reserve’s number one priority,” said Bastien.
For information on reenlistment or retraining opportunities and bonuses, contact the 403rd Wing Career Assistance Advisor Master Sgt. Heather Klamt at 228-377-4282. Airmen who are separating from active duty and want to join the AF Reserve should contact their in-service recruiter. Master Sgt. David Hutson is the in-service recruiter at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, and his number is 251-243-8632. Individuals interested in joining the Air Force Reserve, should contact their local recruiting office for more information. For a list of 403rd Wing recruiters, visit https://www.403wg.afrc.af.mil/Recruiting/.