![]() , indicated they would have remained in the Air Force if they were given an opportunity to spend a career performing flying duties and be equitably recognized for doing so. The dilemma perceived by pilots…is one of being forced to choose between two unacceptable alternatives: they can enhance promotability and job security by giving up what they enjoy and getting a staff or rated supplement job, or they can continue in rated duties and unnecessarily jeopardize their promotion opportunities.Īny of the airline pilots, as well as Air Force pilots who plan to. Rob “Sweetness” Sweet, a Desert Storm veteran and former prisoner of war who still flies A-10s in the 476th Fighter Group.Ī survey conducted by an Air Command and Staff College student found, I walk into the bar and find the oldest and meanest looking fighter pilot and ask him “how in the hell did you get so lucky? Tell me how I can fly for as long as you did!” The epitome of this ideal is Lt. I don’t look at the chief of staff of the Air Force and wonder in awe how he did it or what his keys to career success were. Roger Garrett explains that the problem pilots face is that the “biggest measure of success in today’s Air Force is promotion.” As a fighter pilot, my biggest measure of long-term success is time in the jet. our rated force toward the service and conversely, the service toward our rated force.” This especially will be crucial if the force follows through with multiplying from 312 squadrons to 386, with seven additional fighter squadrons. Danny Dees said, “in order to halt the present retention trend, we need to develop a sense of commitment. ![]() Show you care and value them, their skills, and their families, and they will stay. For a large percentage of fighter pilots, guaranteeing the ability to stay in flying assignments communicates that their skills are valued and would go a long way in convincing them to continue serving. No one likes ambiguity, and the solution is making guarantees. The Air Force says that the organization needs experienced pilots, however the solution is not to bribe the pilots but rather to implement an appropriate policy. Around the water cooler in the squadrons, the bonus is treated and talked about as a trap. ![]() Once the commitment has been signed by the pilot, no guarantees are made by the Air Force regarding the member’s ability to remain in flying assignments or how long they and their family will live in a given location. From my perspective, one of the main reasons pilots hesitate to sign these bonuses is the associated uncertainty. The failure of the Air Force to meet retention goals despite generous bonuses is well-documented in recent years. The RAND corporation has mathematically proven that the only way to ease the Air Force’s pilot shortage crisis is through the retention of experienced pilots. The Air Force is in desperate need of experienced pilots, especially fighter pilots. Shouldn’t this be an easy decision? To continue the vocation I love with an employer that values my skills and is willing to pay me for them? Unfortunately, this is not the case because the active-duty Air Force has a messaging problem and an identity crisis. I am exactly the person the Air Force is attempting to retain, and they’re offering a $35,000 annual bonus for a three to 12 year commitment. I have been an instructor pilot for over two years, and I love my job. I have over 1500 hours flying, 300 of which are combat. Eighteen months after that, I’ll be at the end of my service commitment. I am one year from being promoted to major. A year after War on the Rocks published Benitez’s articles, I hope to offer a “front line” perspective as one of the pilots the Air Force is attempting to retain. In his three-part series, Mike Benitez does a wonderful job illustrating how the service got to this position and how the lack of experienced pilots degrades its lethality and disrupts its ability to replenish the force through basic pipeline training. According to the Air Force, the military organization has a few job openings - over 2,000 - in the pilot department, especially if you have experience.
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