Renumber to item 'B' (New numbering convention) and modify language as listed below.
The Army National Guard Technician program has a retention and hiring problem, and cannot recruit or retain enough personnel to fill the positions required to operate, train in, and maintain aircraft. Select federal employee populations in the same occupational series are authorized Special Salary Rate Tables (SSRT); when the Army National Guard is not authorized the use of the special pay tables, the retention and hiring problem will be compounded. The Army National Guard already has a difficult time competing with the commercial aviation industry and other government agencies, and the non-use of available federal pay tables makes it nearly impossible to keep qualified National Guard aviation professionals when they receive offers from the above entities.

Army National Guard aviation technicians within the Federal Wage System and on the General Schedule need to be included under applicable Special Salary Rate Tables to enable hiring and retention of highly qualified personnel for our technician force.