Department of the Air Force releases fiscal year 2021 Selective Retention Bonus program

Department of the Air Force officials released details Dec. 10 on the fiscal year 2021 Selective Retention Bonus program, which includes 37 eligible Air Force specialties.

“Overall retention levels are at record highs and manning within many of our career fields is healthy,” said Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. “This reduces our requirement and opportunity to utilize retention bonuses to the same extent.”

The program is designed to improve the retention of experienced Airmen and Space Professionals in stressed career fields or those with high training costs.

The Department of the Air Force will spend more than $55 million for the FY 2021 program, which includes 37 total Air Force specialty codes, including 28 that remain eligible from the mid-year FY 2020 SRB program. Nine AFSCs were added to the program and 40 AFSCs were removed from the list.

The FY 2021 SRB program goes into effect Jan. 5, 2021. Members in skills identified for a reduction or termination, and who are currently eligible to reenlist, will have until Feb. 4, 2021 to take advantage of the bonus at previous rates.

“We are giving members ad-vanced notice of impacted AFSCs this year given the challenges associated with COVID-19,” Kelly said. “We want to ensure our members have the right information and enough time to make informed career decisions.”

The FY 2021 SRB listing is available both on myPers and the retention page on the Air Force’s Personnel Center website at https://www.afpc.af.mil/Retention/. For more information regarding the SRB program, visit the link or contact your local Military Personnel Flight Career Development section.