14 Benefits For Indian Air Force Serving Personnel

Every organization where you work may provide you with other benefits apart from your salary, we always love to get something extra from the organization where we are spending most of our time working. But, many of us do not know that defence organisation do a lot for their serving and retired personnel which hardly few private firms are doing. Here a the list of benefits which a serving personnel gets in Indian air force.

Once you become a part of the Indian Air Force family, you enjoy many facilities and benefits. From housing facilities to free ration, from medical facilities to schools for your children, IAF takes care of all your needs. You continue to avail some of these benefits even after your retirement.

Benefits for Serving Personnel

1. Insurance: All Air Force personnel, including Flight Cadets are provided life insurance cover under the Air Force Group Insurance Scheme ( AFGIS). Monthly contribution rates are minimal and the insurance policy covers all contingencies. As an Air Force Officer you are insured for an amount of Rs 50 lakhs with an additional insurance cover of Rs 10 lakhs for pilots.
2. Loans :As a member of AFGIS, you can avail following loans:
   • House Building Loan
   • Computer Loan
   • Conveyance Loan
3. Medical : All Air Force officers, their families and dependents have free access to medical rooms and hospitals equipped with the best of facilities. Apart from being treated at the Armed Forces Hospitals, there are also tie ups with Civil Hospitals for treatment of specialised cases, if required. Patients are also given grants for purchase of necessary medical equipment and mechanical aid to help make them self-reliant.
4. Scholarships and welfare schemes from AFWWA( Air Force wives welfare association)
5. Accommodation: Free accommodation for serving personnel of Indian air force.
6. Leave:  Annual leave for 60 days and casual leave of 20 days per year
7. Rations: Ration facility in Indian air force.
8. Institute and Messes membership: Various institute and mess memberships for serving personnel.
9. School facilities: Air force schools for kids inside the air force campus.
10. Rail concessions: Get free and conssession in rail tickets.
11. Secured camp life: Secured air force campus with state of the art security.
12. CSD facilities: Canteen store department facilities.
13. Sports facilities: Various sports inside air force campus like, basketball, football, cricket, gym etc.
14. Educational Opportunities: Once you join the Air Force, you realise that behind all the action and adventure is a lot of effort towards academic pursuits. From the moment you are selected, till the time you retire, you are continuously honing your skills with a large number of in-service courses and other educational avenues.
    • If you join the Air Force through NDA, you earn yourself a Bachelor’s Degree in Science or Computer Science.
    • The IAF also sponsors M. Tech. courses for officers of the Technical Branch, in institutes like IIT and BHU-IT.
    • The IAF also has tie-ups with universities like IGNOU to facilitate long-distance learning for officers and airmen.
    • Study Leave – They are also allowed study leave of up to 24 months extendable up to 28 months.

Post-retirement Benefits

1. Pension
   After retirement from the service, An IAF Officer is entitled to a decent pension which takes care of the needs of the family
2. Insurance
   Post retirement insurance cover is provided to all Air Force pensioners who have rendered pensionable years of service on payment of minimal premium. The cover given by the Society is upto 72 years of age.
3. Medical
   The facilities of Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) such as after retirement at minimum one time contribution, cashless treatment for family for life at ECHS Polyclinics and empanelled premium super specialty group of hospitals like Fortis, Artemis, Apollo, Escorts to name few and many others at almost every city in India with facility of Private Wards.
   • All the retired officers and their dependents have access to medical rooms and hospitals equipped with the best of the facilities. Apart from being entitled to the medical facilities, retired Air Force personnel is also authorized for the following benefits:
   • Coverage under medical insurance for lifetime.
   • Grant for Commercial Venture for personnel who have had to leave service due to medical reasons.