Air Force officials have approved special duty assignment pay for most airmen in the explosive ordnance disposal career field, the Air Force Personnel Center announced Tuesday.

In addition to increasing selective re-enlistment bonuses, EOD airmen will receive a monthly special duty assignment payment of $150 for senior airmen, $300 for staff sergeants and $375 for technical sergeants through chief master sergeants.

To help sustain the EOD force, additional funding of $3.5 million per year is slated through fiscal 2014 to support EOD personnel.

"It’s important that we keep this critical career field appropriately manned, so airmen can continue to support future Air Force missions," Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg, the Air Force civil engineer at the Pentagon, said in the news release.

Since 2002, the overall retention rates for EOD airmen has declined by 30 percent because of high operations tempo and the inherent dangers involved in the career field, the AFPC said.

The special duty assignment pay program is reserved for enlisted members who are entitled to basic pay and who are performing duties that have been designated as extremely difficult or involving an unusual degree of responsibility in a military skill.

The Army and Navy have similar incentive programs in place to retain EOD personnel, the release said.

For more information about special duty assignment pay, visit AFPC’s "Ask" Web site by entering "SDAP" in the search engine. Individuals can also contact the 24-hour Air Force Contact Center at 800-616-3775.