Alabama Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve air reserve technician (ART) mechanics in the Montgomery area are getting a well-deserved pay raise that will make their salaries comparable to what other military and civilian employees receive in the area. The Montgomery Advisor reported Wednesday that these more than 200 ART maintainers, who work with the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base and the 187th Fighter Wing at Montgomery Regional Airport, will receive an hourly wage spike from $5.24 to $7.30 per hour, depending on their position, equating to an annual increase of nearly $11,000, or more. Members of the 908th AW led the year-long effort to right the pay inequity, which was caused by how federal wages are calculated in Alabama’s various pay zones. Mechanics at Maxwell were paid significantly less than federally employed maintainers doing similar work in Birmingham and Dothan, according to the newspaper. The wage increases are expected to help recruitment and retention as there have been numerous vacancies in critical specialties such as propulsion and hydraulics.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.