Only A Few Have Signed Up To Receive $225,000 Check For A Nine-Year Commitment

Pilots in the U.S. Air Force are being offered what many would consider a pretty sweet deal ... and largely turning it down.

Some fighter pilots in the USAF are eligible for a $225,000 bonus if they will make a nine-year commitment to the service. But only a handful of pilots have agreed to the deal, citing reductions in flying hours, grounded squadrons, and generous offers from the private sector as reasons to keep their options open.

The Air Force Times reports that some pilots have told top brass that they are "bored" when their squadrons are not flying. Airlines are looking at increasing pilot shortages as pilots retire, and are actively recruiting air force pilots to fly airliners. Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning said of the incentive "they aren't taking it because they aren't flying. The don't know what their future is."

The issue of lack of work is also filtering down to the airman ranks. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said to Senate Armed Services Committee recently that he's been told that they are looking for work that is "a little more exciting" because squadrons had been grounded or their flying hours have been cut. Thirteen combat squadrons have been grounded due to sequestration, with more groundings likely in the next two fiscal years.

(Pictured: Acting Air Force Secretary Eric Fanning, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Lofgren at Nellis Air Force Base, NV. USAF photo)

FMI: www.af.mil