Incentive pay for nuclear mission reaching Malmstrom

by John Turner
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs

1/13/2015 - MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Airmen performing critical intercontinental ballistic missile-related duties and recently authorized to receive additional compensation are now seeing it in their paychecks, according to leadership here.

Incentive pay for critical nuclear-related tasks went into effect Oct. 1, 2014. Most Airmen eligible for incentive pay at the start of the fiscal year should now be receiving the pay, though the delivery of first payment depends on when paperwork was submitted on the member's behalf.  All Airmen who qualify for incentive pay will receive retroactive back pay once their records are updated.

The incentive pays affirm the Air Force's commitment to the nuclear enterprise.

"People assigned to these demanding and exclusive nuclear positions take on an extraordinary amount of responsibility, workload and inspection rigor for the world's most lethal weapons," Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said when the incentive pays were announced Sept. 15. "The nuclear mission is our number one mission and we're going to compensate our Airman accordingly."

Officers assigned to and working in critical nuclear billets with primary duty in the missile fields are eligible for Assignment Incentive Pay of up to $300 per month. This pay is open to missile combat crew members, missile maintenance officers, and security forces officers.

AIP is the military's preferred way to compensate troops from all of the services and is often paid to service members for unusual or extended assignments, according to defense.gov.

Enlisted personnel serving in select nuclear specialties including missile maintenance, security forces, and missile alert facility mangers and chefs are eligible for Special Duty Assignment Pay of up to $300 per month. The SDAP program enables the Air Force to fill top priority positions and allows the Air Force to compensate Airmen for the exceptional requirements of these positions.

SDAP considers the scope of responsibility, deviations from specialty responsibilities and skill, and prerequisites or education requirements that exceed those of other Airmen in the same specialty and rank to ensure that the right people are compensated at the appropriate level based on the complexity, difficulty, and degree of responsibility required of the duty, according to Air Force Personnel Center. Biennial reviews ensure that SDAP is paid only to Airmen whose duties are extremely difficult or involve an unusual degree of responsibility.

"This money to us reflects that our leadership appreciates us and understands the importance and relevance of our job," said Tech. Sgt. Harrison Roberts, 341st Maintenance Squadron missile maintenance team critical task supervisor.

Approximately 1,300 enlisted Airmen are eligible to receive SDAP at Malmstrom. SDAP is initiated or changed through AF Form 2096 and processed through the 341st Force Support Squadron's force management section. Members can call 731-3230 for assistance.

The total number of officers eligible to receive AIP here is not immediately available since AIP is administered through individual squadrons.