The U.S. Air Force has just announced it’s so low on cashola that it has to pause funding for bonuses and some essential activities. This comes almost right after the Pentagon declared it had a convenient little “accounting error,” which provided an additional $6.2 billion military aid for Ukraine. Is it just me, or is the U.S. military spending money on all the wrong things?
Air Force chat rooms are abuzz over the pathetic Air Force leadership’s latest disaster, which as usual hurts enlisted members while the top brass will plan more diversity programs and Ukraine aid packages. Impacted programs and areas include some Permanent Change of Stations (PCS), a program for retiring or separating Air Force members, aviator bonuses, Selective Retention Bonuses (SRBs—to incentivize reenlistment), Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP), and Foreign Language Proficiency Bonuses (for those getting Air Force language certifications). In other words, a lot of people are going to be stuck overseas, rethinking reenlistment, or suddenly not receiving money they quite reasonably thought they had coming to them.
The Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) program — a cash incentive aimed at retaining airmen with certain skills — is being suspended…The Air Force is also pausing the Aviation Bonus Program, or AvB, a cash payment aimed at retaining pilots, that started just last month…The Air Force is also pausing new Assignment Incentive Pay, a bonus paid for unusual or extended assignments, until the beginning of fiscal 2024….
Service members who have a date estimated return from overseas, or DEROS, between October and Dec. 23 will have their return extended to between January and March 24, 2024…Starting in October, hundreds of airmen and Guardians will no longer qualify for a monetary bonus meant to encourage service members to take on the toughest and most difficult jobs.
But it’s only temporary, right? Or does Ukraine need another accounting error? Or maybe we need a new program to pay for transgender queer treehugging furry drag queen airmen—ahem, airperselfs—to get bottom surgeries?
The U.S. military appears to have its funding priorities out of whack. ABCNews reported on June 20, “Pentagon accounting error provides extra $6.2 billion for Ukraine military aid.” The article stated:
The Pentagon said Tuesday that it overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion over the past two years — about double early estimates — resulting in a surplus that will be used for future security packages.
Well, suspiciously and mighty coincidentally, the Air Force now has no money for a lot of truly important things. Sure, you’re stranded in a foreign country, but Ukraine needed cluster bombs, am I right?
One Air Force document claimed, “Due to inflation, PCS costs are higher than budgeted. We also made investments in recruiting and retention bonuses to address recruiting challenges and enhance retention.” Some people got bonuses, but no more! Also there’s this inflation that our commander-in-chief says isn’t happening — and if it were, it’s not his fault, but also it’s a problem so no bonus for you. Let’s have another drag show.
Want to bet recruitment and retention numbers are about to get even more catastrophic than they are now?
Taking care of service members should be a top priority, since they sacrifice so much for this country. Instead, the Biden administration’s military has money for diversity programs, Ukraine, diversity programs, Pride initiatives, Ukraine, and more diversity programs. This is absolutely unacceptable, and Air Force airmen deserve answers from their imbecilic leadership.
