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FY-15 ADHSB
- Thread starter HooverPilot
- Start date
The issue with the bonus / retirement system is that it incentivises and impresses your worst performers. In the real world, bonuses are paid after the hard work is done, as a sign of gratitude for performance - but in Naval Aviation, the bonus is paid upfront to "lock in" someone for a future role. Sure there are signing bonuses in the real world, but those don't come with hidden strings attached, like a second unsavory follow-on tour picked for you at the mercy of your detailer. The only performance that is being rewarded is the fact that you screened for DH, which in an era of near 100% screen rates, is hardly a feat.
In perfect world, the DH bonus would be the length of the DH tour, and paid at the end of each year, but instead it is paid upfront, usually over 4-5 years, and essentially forces a post DH LCDR to take on a set of crap orders. The command bonus was no different. For someone who is paid up front and locked into a job they may end up disliking, what incentive do they have to perform? They're getting to 20 and retirement whether they suck or not, and top performers sometimes get crappier follow-on orders than the bottom performers. Of course you could still take DH or CO orders and not take the associated bonuses, but then you've marked yourself as someone who is a free-agent, and subject to rolling out of tours early and/or picking up off-track follow on orders. Its a system that rewards those who cede control of their options and punishes those who don't.
In perfect world, the DH bonus would be the length of the DH tour, and paid at the end of each year, but instead it is paid upfront, usually over 4-5 years, and essentially forces a post DH LCDR to take on a set of crap orders. The command bonus was no different. For someone who is paid up front and locked into a job they may end up disliking, what incentive do they have to perform? They're getting to 20 and retirement whether they suck or not, and top performers sometimes get crappier follow-on orders than the bottom performers. Of course you could still take DH or CO orders and not take the associated bonuses, but then you've marked yourself as someone who is a free-agent, and subject to rolling out of tours early and/or picking up off-track follow on orders. Its a system that rewards those who cede control of their options and punishes those who don't.
Some of you guys are doing it wrong if this is the case.
I would be interested in seeing a performance based post-DH tour bonus. I'm not dismissing it out right, it sounds like it might be worth looking into. But... When you're the MO and you've just told guys you're working Saturday and Sunday until the jets are up... It might not play well for many people to know that you've got $125K coming your way if the tour goes well.
What if the maintenance department collectively could get a bonus for working themselves out of a (non self-induced) hole, winning the Golden Wrench, or somesuch?
Maybe I should have been clearer in my previous post. I am not for a bonus of any kind. Bupers is upfront that it is a retention tool. Performance has nothing to do with it, otherwise, why is there such a disparity between what hornet and helo pilots get paid? And if it is a retention tool, what kind of people do you think are the types who will be persuaded to stay in who would have otherwise decided to get out? The bonus should be that you get to continue to do the greatest job in the world.
I don't think it's a realistic premise, but a good part of me likes the idea. Then again, I'm a person that couldn't even apply for my DH bonus until I was 2 years into my DH tour, so I'm probably not the "target" audience.
The thought occurred to me too; I'm just spitballing.
Interesting discussion. Not sure why we're quibbling about the bonus via-a-vis the "real world." It's a force shaping tool, clear and simple. How effective it is may be up for debate. To the issue of NAE not seeing this coming, I'm not sure I agree with that. They just don't have the power to do much about it. They can use the bonus rheostat to the extent they're able, funded for, etc, but BUPERS doesn't have the authority to do a whole lot more. If people are getting out because of long deployments with short turn-around times and loss of the "traditional" culture of Naval Aviation, then there's not a whole lot NPC or OPNAV can do about that either, especially in the short term.
At the end of the day, NAE will ride this one out like they've had to in the past. This too shall pass.
At the end of the day, NAE will ride this one out like they've had to in the past. This too shall pass.
Yep...the more things change......
How quickly forget how the Navy created a rate just to keep people in the service, t notches, the RIFs, and how you had to change into your flight suit when you got to work.....
I am fairly certain I would decline the Command bonus if it came back. I would rather be marked as a free-agent who has retained his options after 20 years of service.
Well, I've been wearing a flight suit for >24 years and I've never had to wait until I got to work to suit up. Ever. Sounds like, once again, the helo crowd are going out of their way to make life difficult for themselves.
Standard.
Not trying to open a can of worms but I think the simple act of calling what we do the "Naval Aviation Enterprise" signifies that the leadership considers this a business and not much else. In my experience it feels more and more like the reason people are jumping ship isn't as much of the deployments and optempo, it's that the impression they get from senior leadership is that simply throwing money at them will fix the problem. Hell, I just volunteered for another set of sea duty orders, putting me at back to back to back sea duty, and it's because I love this shit. The money isn't to keep me in, it's just icing on the cake. Granted, it's now FTS money, but that's a whole different argument
The bottom line is that managing a budget is important but the non-stop barrage of "best business practices, the business of Naval Aviation, NAE, etc" leads people to think that all the Navy senior leadership gives a shit about in the long term is the money, not the people. People is what makes this job awesome, not the money.
Let's be honest: The VFA (and VAQ?) numbers aren't going to meet the requirements. The ugly truth shows this: DH billets are going to be filled with guys that have no business or experience required to fill those billets. First tour JOs will suffer as the training that they should receive goes to re-training guys coming back from aide and other non-flying tours. Nights at the boat will be scarier on average and night arrivals into Atlanta will be better on average.