More than 600 Army aviators found their future plans thrown into doubt after the Pentagon announced it had reinterpreted a key part of their contracts that guaranteed them a slot in the aviation service, NBC News reports.
As the military services struggle to recruit and retain personnel, aviators are sought-after professionals in civilian industries which can pay significantly more than military positions. The new policy was cited by some of the impacted active-duty officers for delaying the start of new businesses or changing wedding plans.
The clause at issue ensured new officers graduating from the U.S. Military Academy or Army Cadet Command between 2008 to 2020 could get a duty assignment of their choice, like aviation, if they committed to serving three more years active duty. Previously, the Army interpreted that time to run concurrently with their seven- or eight-year contract stemming from their academic commitment. Now, however, a policy review led to a reinterpretation of the contract and the intent of the program.