The Air Force Is Offering Enlisted Airmen a $10,000 Bonus to Join the Reserve
April 6, 2023 | By Greg Hadley
The Air Force is offering a $10,000 bonus for prior-service enlisted Airmen who join the Reserve and fill an open job in an effort to boost flagging recruiting numbers for the component.
The Active-Duty Air Force’s troubles meeting its recruiting goals have been well documented, as leaders and recruiters struggle with low unemployment rates, a competitive job market, and declining eligibility and propensity to serve.
But things are even harder for the Guard and Reserve, which draw a majority of their force from Airmen leaving Active-Duty—the Reserve in particular aims for around 70 percent of its recruits to have prior service. Retention jumped during the COVID-19 pandemic and is still generally high. Fewer Airmen leaving Active-Duty means a smaller pool from which the Guard and Reserve can pull.
That all added up to the Reserve missing its fiscal year 2022 recruiting goal of 8,400 new members by nearly 2,000—around 24 percent shy, according to an Air Force release. That goal went up to 9,300 accessions for 2023. In March, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed that both the Reserve and Guard were on track to miss their goals by more than 10 percent.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-reserve-enlisted-airmen-bonus/
