Pay for More Than 6,000 Airmen Delayed Over Software Glitch

FacebookXPinterestEmailEmailEmailShare
U.S. Air Force fighter pilots assigned to the 14th Fighter Squadron walk onto the flight line during RED FLAG-Alaska 17-2 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 16, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Haley D. Phillips)
U.S. Air Force fighter pilots assigned to the 14th Fighter Squadron walk onto the flight line during RED FLAG-Alaska 17-2 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 16, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Haley D. Phillips)

Airmen who were scheduled to see their special duty assignment pay, selective reenlistment bonus or foreign language pay hit their bank accounts last month may have to wait a little longer due to a software glitch that delayed the payment process.

The Air Force Personnel Center said that a recent Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) software issue prevented Military Personnel Data Systems (MilPDS) updates from being properly transferred, resulting in payment delays for 6,800 total force airmen, spokesman Mike Dickerson said Thursday. The news was first reported by Stars and Stripes earlier this week.

The glitch affected pay transactions between July 19 and July 24, Dickerson said in an email.

Dickerson explained that when the personnel center makes updates in MilPDS, the updates are then transmitted to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) for appropriate pay adjustments.

Tracy Sharpe, a spokeswoman for DISA, said that a software upgrade at a DISA data center "caused a server to stop transferring data."

"Service has been restored," she said Thursday.

"Those pay transactions have been updated at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service," Dickerson added.

Those impacted "should see the update in the next pay period," he said.

AFPC officials emphasized that the Air Force looked into the mishap right away to make sure records and pay continue to be accurate.

"It's important our airmen have confidence in the personnel and finance professionals supporting them and the systems through which those transactions occur," Dickerson said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.

Story Continues