Pilot shortage prompts US Air Force to target flexibility in filling roles

[Ryan Robertson]

FROM THE FICTIONAL, THINK ICE MAN AND MAVERICK IN TOP GUN, TO THE REAL-LIFE, CHUCK YEAGER AND NEIL ARMSTRONG IN THE RIGHT STUFF, THE IMAGE OF A FIGHTER PILOT, FROM ANY ERA, IS AN ICONIC ONE. 

AND FOR AS LONG AS THERE HAVE BEEN AIRCRAFT BUILT TO RULE THE SKIES, THERE HAVE BEEN BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WILLING TO CLIMB INTO THE COCKPIT AND ANSWER THEIR COUNTRY’S CALL.

BUT AS EACH BRANCH OF THE D-O-D CONTINUES TO MODERNIZE FOR WHATEVER CONFLICTS COME OUR WAY, THEY’RE ALL FACING A VERY BIG PROBLEM: NOT ENOUGH PILOTS THE MEET THE NEEDS OF TODAY’S MILITARY. AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE FACING THAT ISSUE IS THE U.S. AIR FORCE. AND THAT’S THE FOCUS OF THIS WEEK’S DEBRIEF.

WHILE THERE IS NO ONE SPECIFIC CAUSE FOR THE SHORTAGE, THE NUMBERS ADD UP TO A SERIOUS PROBLEM. 

AT THIS YEAR’S  AIR, SPACE, AND CYBER CONFERENCE, AIR FORCE LEADERSHIP DETAILED HOW THE SERVICE IS SHORT BY NEARLY 2,000 PILOTS, MORE THAN 1,100 OF WHICH FALL INTO THE FIGHTER PILOT CATEGORY. 

[Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, USAF (Ret.), VP of Strategic Campaigns, Lockheed Martin]

“Suffice it to say, it remains a chronic issue, as you have highlighted, and one that these gentlemen, I’m sure will have great solutions how we’re going to fix it. It’s all easy. We know it’s not. It’s very complex, and frankly, takes input from across the force to understand best how we do what the nation requires of us as an Air Force.”

[Ryan Robertson]

ONE WAY THE AIR FORCE IS TRYING TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM IS BY CHANGING HOW NEW PILOTS ARE TRAINED AND ASSIGNED TO THE AIR FORCE’S WIDE ARRAY OF AIRCRAFT AND THEIR VARIOUS MISSIONS. THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO MOVE CANDIDATES THROUGH THE PIPELINE. 

[Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, Commander, AETC]

“Today, the average pilot training officer is going to go to pilot training, from a commission to pilot or being mission qualification in their platform. 528, days, give or take if you’re going to mobility, it’s about 400 and some, about 430 days and it, you know, that’s way too long. We need to get airmen on their mission, in their platform, in their combat squadron.”

[Ryan Robertson]

LIEUTENANT GENERAL BRIAN ROBINSON, COMMANDER OF THE AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND, ALSO POINTED TO A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS CANDIDATES ALREADY POSSESSING A PILOT’S LICENSE AND ARE LOOKING TO FLY REFUELERS OR CARGO AIRCRAFT THE CHANCE TO START IN THE T-1 JAYHAWK, A  MEDIUM-RANGE, TWIN-ENGINE JET, RATHER THAN THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE OF STARTING IN THE T-6. THIS CAN CUT MONTHS OFF TIME SPENT IN THE PIPELINE AND GET PILOTS TO THEIR FIRST ASSIGNMENT SOONER.

[Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, Commander, AETC]

“We’ve had 16 folks go through the KC-135 portion, all have passed their check rides. Q1, couple, not on the first time through, but that’s normal. And the CU, 130 j, we’ve had 22 go through, and again, all at low risk have met on time and passed their check rides. ”

[Ryan Robertson]

FOR THOSE SET ON FLYING FIGHTERS OR BOMBERS, THEY STILL START ON THE T-6 BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE T-38.

ONCE PILOTS GRADUATE OUT OF THAT PHASE, THEY TYPICALLY MOVE ONTO PLATFORMS LIKE THE F-16, F-35, AND B-1. WHILE THE AIR FORCE DOES TRY TO PAIR GRADS WITH THEIR AIRCRAFT OF CHOICE, THEY’RE NOW ASKING AIRMEN TO BROADEN THE SCOPE OF WHAT THEY’RE WILLING TO FLY. THINK AIRLIFT OR TANKERS AS TWO EXAMPLES.

[Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations]

“It doesn’t mean that if you go to T 38 you’re not going to get a fighter.  It means that you might not get a fighter. One benefit to the member is that you continue to move through your pipeline more quickly, and you get to a flight line and an OP squadron sooner than you would have going another direction, we’re looking at ways to ensure that there’s still some element of choice and that merit matters, and so how well you do certainly will matter and in some of these selections. But we also need to be aware that this is this is good for the Air Force, and we have to fight against those things that are that are hurting this pilot shortage and contributing to it, and find ways to overcome it. ”

[Ryan Robertson]

ANOTHER AVENUE THE AIR FORCE IS PURSUING IS MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO KEEP PILOTS LOOKING TO LEAVE ACTIVE DUTY AWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THE GUARD AND RESERVE COMPONENTS. 

[Maj Gen Randal Efferson, Acting Commander, ANG Readiness Center]

“Everybody’s life changes as you move through service and. And you start business, you have kids, you know, family doesn’t want to move around, whatever the reason is, the Reserve component offers a position for you no matter what phase of life you’re in.”

[Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations]

“We need this symbiotic relationship. It’s not active duty versus reserve component, or reserve component versus active duty. We want the right balance there. And you know my message, “I really hope you stay on active duty, but if you can’t, I really need you to go to the Reserve component so that I have access to your skills when the fight comes, because that’s really all. I give a shit, crap about to be real honest with you, right? When the fight comes, will we be ready, and will I have the forces to go, to go implement our nation’s interests with kinetic air power, ”

[Ryan Robertson]

AT THIS POINT, YOU MIGHT THINK, ‘WHAT IF WE JUST HAD FEWER MANNED AIRCRAFT AND RELIED MORE ON UNMANNED PLATFORMS?’ TO THAT POINT, RETIRED AIR FORCE GENERAL JEFFEREY HARRIGIAN OFFERS THIS COUNTER. 

[Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, USAF (Ret.), VP of Strategic Campaigns, Lockheed Martin]

“As we talk, as you know, great power competition, I’d argue numbers are important, and I don’t think you guys would argue with me. And so how we do that going forward? And we can talk about mixes of man and unmanned, but people matter. War. Fighting is about humans, and humans are required to fly airplanes, and so we got to think our way through that.”

[Ryan Robertson]

WITH A CUMULATIVE 12 STARS AND DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, THE FOUR AIRMEN ALL AGREED THERE’S NO ONE QUICK FIX TO THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. THEY INSIST IT WILL TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO REACH RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND RETENTION GOALS THE AIR FORCE HAS BEEN CHASING FOR YEARS.