Air Force, Space Force announce cold-weather bonuses for Alaska and North Dakota

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force will begin paying annual cold-weather bonuses this summer to service members on duty at Eielson Air Force Base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Clear Space Force Station, officials at the two military branches said this week.

The bonuses, which also will be paid to members of the military at four facilities in North Dakota, are worth between $500 and $5,000 per year for members of the two armed services who sign agreements to serve at least one year at cold-weather posts.

Guidance documents published by the Air Force do not list Eareckson Air Station on Shemya as eligible.

The bonus plan began April 1, with the first bonus pay arriving July 1, the Department of Defense said this week.

The bonuses are intended to compensate for the cost of buying cold-weather gear, including snow tires, and act as a financial incentive to encourage airmen and Space Force Guardians to serve in cold-weather locations.

Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan issued a statement celebrating the arrival of the bonus plan, which they helped shepherd through Congress.

They and other senators inserted funding for the bonuses in the federal government’s 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

After the Defense Department balked at the plan, they passed clarifying language in the 2024 act and urged the Space Force and Air Force to begin payments.

The bonus program is scheduled to end in 2026.