Fighter Aircrew Career Flexibility Act

Career Retention and Flexibility: The program allows experienced aircrew to take a break from active duty to see if targeted intermissions can reduce early separations from the Air Force (Section 2(a)).

Maintaining Professional Readiness: Participants can undergo inactive service training during their intermission to ensure they retain proficiency in military skills, professional qualifications, and physical readiness (Section 2(d)(3)).

Continued Base and Benefits Access: To ensure a rapid return to active status, the Secretary of the Air Force will allow participants to retain security clearances, base access, and commissary/exchange access to the maximum extent practicable (Section 2(d)(4)).

Housing Stability: Participants living in military or government housing are not required to move out of their residences during their intermission (Section 2(d)(6)).

Career Advancement Protection: Participation in this program cannot be used as a negative factor regarding promotion boards, career development, or assignment matching (Section 2(f)).

Streamlined Return to Duty: The Secretary of the Air Force must provide expedited on-boarding so returning members can meet prerequisites for flight or staff duties within 30 days of reporting back (Section 2(e)(1)).

Financial Burdens during Intermission: While participants can stay in their housing, they are responsible for paying rent during the period that their basic housing allowance is suspended (Section 2(d)(6)).

Increased Service Commitment upon Return: Once a participant returns to active duty, they will incur a new active duty service commitment that is double the length of the time they spent on intermission (Section 2(e)(2)).

Impact on Retirement Timelines: Time spent participating in the program does not count toward an individual's eligibility for retirement or the calculation of retired pay (Section 2(d)(10)).

Potential for Forced Termination of Intermission: The Secretary of the Air Force has the discretion to require a participant to end their intermission and return to active service (Section 2(d)(11)).

Deployment Restrictions: Individuals who are scheduled for a deployment are not eligible to participate in the program until they return or the deployment is cancelled (Section 2(b)(5)).