§334a Special Aviation Incentive Pay and Bonus Authorities: Enlisted Members Who Operate Remotely Piloted Aircraft

Summary

The Secretary can pay extra aviation incentive pay and bonuses to enlisted members who fly remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) or are training to become RPA pilots. To get incentive pay, a member must be in the regular or reserve forces and receive basic pay or reserve pay, be designated as an RPA pilot or in training, do or train for regular operational or proficiency flying duty, serve in aviation service for a set time, and meet any other rules the Secretary sets. The Secretary may still pay someone who is not currently flying if the Secretary decides, under rules in section 374, that it is in the service’s best interest. To get a bonus, the member must also be within one year of finishing their enlistment and reenlist or extend for at least one year, or sign a written agreement to stay on active duty or in an active reserve status for at least one year. The Secretary sets the exact amounts, but incentive pay cannot be more than $1,000 per month and a bonus cannot exceed $35,000 for each 12-month period of obligated service. Bonuses can be paid in a lump sum or in installments and must be fixed in a written agreement that states the amount, payment method, required service time, and conditions of service. Reservists paid for inactive-duty training get a proportional share. These payments are extra to other pay, but a member cannot receive two different aviation pays for the same skill and time. If a member who received pay or a bonus fails to meet the rules or complete the agreed service, they must repay under section 373. Definitions: aviation service = participating in aerial flight as an RPA pilot under Secretary rules; operational flying duty = flying in jobs or training where basic flying skills are normally used; proficiency flying duty = flying in jobs where those skills would not normally be used. No new agreements may be made after December 31, 2018.