Officer retention bonus brief

Intent: To retain officers serving in the ANG in identified critical specialties. (See table towards bottom of page)

Minimum Eligibility Requirements: The requirements identified below are meant to provide a list of the minimum qualifications needed to offer an Officer Retention Bonus and execute a written agreement to enter this incentive.

To qualify for this incentive, applicants must:

• Have completed a minimum of four (4) years of active commissioned service or qualifying service for a Reserve Component office. See Career Data Brief (CDB) for the Total Force Commission Service Date (TFCSD) date

• Have less than 16 years of active commissioned service or qualifying service, in accordance with DoDI 1215.07 for a Reserve Component officer. Based on the effective date of the incentive written agreement. (See CDB for the TFCSD date.

• Agree to continue serving in the ANG in an incentive eligible AFSC that is identified on the current NATIONAL or LOCAL OFFICER INCENTIVE AFSC LIST. (Scroll to bottom to see that).

• Not be a Palace Chase participant

• Member must not be in excess 

• Be qualified or agree to become fully qualified in the AFSC per the AFOCD. AF2096 is the source document. (AF2096P/2AFSC & DAFSC must match unless noted in the AFOCD)

• Not be fulfilling a service obligation except for the following: 1) initial appointment obligation, 2) due to promotion, 3) due to PME, or 4) due to transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits.

• Not have received a previous Officer Retention Bonus

• Have completed all training requirements based on prior service commitments (Refer Administrative Requirements, Attachment 8)

  • • Pilots must have completed 10yrs of rated service following their Undergraduate Flying Training (UFT) graduation date. (Refer Administrative Requirements, Attachment 8)

    • Combat Systems Officer (CSO), Air Battle Managers (ABM) and Remotely Pilot Aircraft (RPA) must have completed 6 years of rated service following UFT. (Refer Administrative Requirements, Attachment 8)

• Provide DD-214s and/or NGB-22s for all previous periods of military service; all periods of service must be honorable

• Member must not be serving in a permanent full-time position where federal law requires membership in the ANG as a condition of employment (AGR or Technician)

• ANG officers are not authorized to be in an Aviation Bonus (AvB) contract and a DSG bonus contract at the same time. Communicate with your unit AvB coordinators to prevent erroneous payments or need for recoupment of bonus funds

• Execute the appropriate written agreement

Program Specifics:

• Officer Retention Bonus effective date are to be created in AFRISS-TF when member is eligible after 30 days from DOA

• Officer members must be primary in the duty position

• A complete incentive documents must be uploaded to AFRISS-TF supporting documents and approved by NGB Retention Operations. (Refer Administrative Requirements, Attachment 8)

• Request for NGB approval authorizing payment is done after member is fully qualified. Incentive is not considered valid until approval is granted

• Utilize Retention IEVW to review benefits form must be filled out completely (provided by ROM after initial eligibility is vetted).

• Attachment 10-1 of this Operational Guidance outlines the payment schedule for the Officer Retention Cash Bonus

• The following circumstances require approval from NGB/A1YR for AFRISS-TF Master AFSC changes. (Refer to Administrative Requirements, Attachment 8): 

  • • Officers affected by an NGB-directed reduction in force, mission change, unit conversion etc. maybe relieved from recoupment with an approved ETP

    • Members affected by AFSC direct conversion may:

    • Retain bonus eligibility for the remaining term of contract

• Members serving in an incentive contract may only be eligible to retrain into an AFSC on the current NATIONAL or LOCALOFFICER INCENTIVE AFSC LIST with approval from NGB/A1YR

• *Note Line Officer AFSC cross training into a Rated Officer AFSC are not authorized to retain incentive.

• ANG to ANG transfers will bead ministered IAW Fiscal Year 2024 Recruiting and Retention Initiatives:

• All members currently serving in an incentive written agreement (Local or National) who transfer to another ANG Unit will retain their current incentive program provided the member remains in the same AFSC

• Transferring members retraining into a new AFSC will only be authorized to continue incentives if the member’s AFSC is on the current NATIONAL or LOCAL OFFICER INCENTIVE AFSC LIST

• Note Line Officer AFSC cross training into a Rated Officer AFSC are not authorized to retain incentive