Over 100 Percent Increase In RPA Personnel Expected In Coming Years

Air Force officials in Washington, D.C. have approved an incentive pay for officer and enlisted Airmen who commit themselves to flying or operating sensors on remotely piloted aircraft. The incentive pay is equivalent to the current aviation incentive pay programs and is available to Airmen in the officer 18X RPA pilot or the new enlisted 1UOX1 RPA sensor operator career fields.

MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft

The incentives scale with an Airman's time within the career fields.

"Air Force leaders want the RPA career fields to operate the way other aviation career fields do," said Lt. Col. David DuHadway, the rated force policy chief at the Pentagon. "As a service, we recognize the need for people with these skill sets, and this represents a significant step forward in building a career field of RPA professionals."

There are slightly more than 400 Airmen currently in the RPA career fields. Air Force leaders expect that number to rise to more than 1,000 as the need for more combat air patrols increases in the U.S. Air Forces Central area of responsibility over the next few years.

"The pay is an incentive to attract and retain Airmen who dedicate themselves to operating RPAs," Colonel DuHadway said.

Until recently, RPAs were the only airframes where an enlisted member of the crew wasn't receiving an incentive pay specifically paid for their aviation duties. Although the pilots receive specialized flight training, the sensor operators perform duties similar to those of other career enlisted aviators.

"We're paying them for their expertise," explained Chief Master Sgt. Victor Allen, the career field manager for all career enlisted aviators. "The sensor operator position was often an additional duty for imagery analysis Airmen. But commanders want people who are devoted to staying in the career field.

"Offering the incentive pay will help us build the force we need to meet the demands of the mission," Chief Allen added.

FMI: www.af.mil