Money tip for Naval Aviators seeking lateral transfer to FAO community

Money tip for Naval Aviators seeking lateral transfer to FAO community

This instruction came out this past August and I was blissfully unaware of it until my flight pay stopped last month. I had thought that I wouldn’t lose my flight pay until I was redesignated as a Foreign Area Officer; in my case this won’t take place till the fall. However, as the instruction clearly states, I was wrong—you lose your flight pay (unless you are in a flying billet) no later than 30 days of the lateral transfer board results. Please forward this information on to others.


NOTE: It’s a bummer to lose my flight pay, but this is added incentive to update my DLPT so I can start getting paid for my French! Here’s a site I found that has a listing of all the DLPT testing sites. Shoot me a message if you’d like the direct number and POC here in the DC/MD/VA area.

Following are the pertinent parts of the instruction (it's also linked to the full instruction):

OPNAVINST 7220.18 AVIATION CAREER INCENTIVE PAY

6.e. Foreign Area Officers. Previously aeronautically designated officers who laterally transfer to the foreign area officer community are not entitled to ACIP. Foreign area

officers receiving DIFOPS orders to a flying attaché billet may be entitled to HDIP for flying provided that they meet the minimum flying requirements as prescribed in reference (b). Officers selected for lateral transfer to foreign area officers who are currently in a flying attaché billet will have ACIP terminated upon re-designation or transfer to a non-flying billet, whichever occurs first.

7.i. Transfer or Re-designation. Aviation officers who accept a lateral transfer into a community not entitled to ACIP will have their ACIP terminated upon acceptance of redesignation. Acceptance of re-designation occurs no later than

30 days from the release of the transfer or re-designation board results via a naval administrative (NAVADMIN) message. If an officer declines transfer or re-designation, they must inform NAVPERSCOM (PERS-435) to preclude suspension of ACIP. For officers in a DIFOPS billet (with billet designator XXX1 or XXX2) who accept transfer into a community not entitled to ACIP, ACIP will terminate upon transfer to a non-flying billet or redesignation, whichever occurs first.