Some professional military education instructors, defense couriers and cyber airmen could be eligible for monthly special duty payments in fiscal 2019.
But the changes to the special duty assignment pay list, which went into effect in October, are fewer this year than the Air Force made in fiscal 2018.
Last year, the Air Force added 10 new jobs to the list of special duty assignment pays. This year, however, only three jobs are being added, and a handful more are being increased. A comparison of the 2018 and 2019 special pay lists show no career fields were dropped this year, or had their monthly payments reduced.
This year, the Air Force has added to the list:
* Certain professional military education instructors who are qualified and currently teaching at Airman Leadership School, the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, the Senior NCO Academy, Cadet Leadership Course, and Enlisted PME Instruction Course. Those instructors can receive the lowest monthly payment of $75, regardless of how long they’ve been in that job.
RELATED
![](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/v2/SEZOOUL7A5H25FQICMHYXQI53M.png?auth=3852556a3f8362ae82fa0bf6450e0eff73dc4d5cb15639a2fe2d7a828350c27d&width=1134&height=810)
* Defense couriers in the 8P000 career field with the required training and experience, who are also eligible for $75 per month. These couriers are responsible for safeguarding and transporting sensitive material, making sure those materials are delivered to the right people and are safely stored after delivery.
* Some 52nd Munitions Maintenance Group airmen in the 3D0X3 cyber surety, 3D1X2 cyber transport systems, or 3D1X3 RF transmission systems career fields, who could receive $75.
The Air Force has also increased special duty pays for several career fields that were already eligible, or expanded their eligibility:
* Certain airmen in the 724th Special Tactics Group at Pope Field in North Carolina, whose $150, $225 or $300 monthly special pays will increase to $225, $300 or $375, depending on how long they have served in the special duty.
* Certain Air Force Special Operations Command air operations flight airmen will have their monthly payments increased from either $75 to $225 to $225 to $375, depending on their length of service in the job. Others will see their payments go up from $225 to $375, to $300 to the maximum $450.
* Some Office of Special Investigations airmen will have their payments increased to either $225 or $300.
* Air traffic controllers who train other controllers on a day-to-day basis, and who are senior airmen, also can now receive $75 per month. Previously, only air traffic controllers who served as watch supervisors or in other staff duty positions were eligible for $225 per month in special duty pay.
* Command chief master sergeants serving at the unified combatant command and major command levels will get a bump in their monthly pay, from $225 to $300. All other command chiefs will stay at $225.
* Certain special operations surgical team airmen in the 4H0X1 cardiopulmonary laboratory career field and assigned to AFSOC or U.S. Special Operations Command Europe are now eligible to receive the maximum $450 monthly payment. Previously, only SOST airmen in the 4N1X1 surgical service career field were eligible for that $450 payment.
* Korean cryptologic language analysts' monthly special payments went from either $300 or $375, depending on their skill level, to $375 or $450.
Here’s the 2019 list of special duty assignment pay amounts.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.