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Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Stop-Loss an Option for Air Force to Keep Departing Pilots

Faced with pilots leaving the Air Force in droves for the airlines, top generals are considering the option of forcing some to stay in the service against their will, a senior Air Force general told CQ Roll Call.

Gen. Carlton Everhart, chief of the Air Mobility Command, said in an interview that he and other senior Air Force generals will join Gen. David Goldfein, the service’s chief of staff, alongside representatives of the other armed services, in a meeting with U.S. airline executives May 18 at Andrews Air Force Base.

The goal of the meeting will be to find ways to solve the exodus of Air Force pilots to the industry in a way that is mutually acceptable for the U.S. military and the airlines — without the Air Force having to resort to “stop-loss,” a means of forcing Air Force personnel to stay in the service beyond the period of their commitment.

With Air Force pilots leaving the service in great numbers, there is growing talk of boosting bonuses to retain them. But money, it turns out, is usually the least important reason a pilot stays or goes.

That doesn’t mean an increase to the $35,000 annual enticement that is available to pilots after a decade of service would necessarily be a bad idea. But the pilot shortage — a hot topic this year in Congress’s defense committees — may be more a function of pilots being pushed out by the declining state of Air Force readiness than about the pull of big bucks in the airline industry, according to lawmakers and military leaders.

More here

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh that will go over well with the troops. FORCING them to stay.

What the heck lack of common sense mindset do our military leaders have? Comments like FORCING scares the hell outta me.

Figure out ($$$ CHA CHING and don't fool us with that blabber saying money isn't important) what will make them WANT to stay SIRS and MA'AMS! That's why you made the rank GENERAL...for THINKING using COMMON SENSE!

Don't give those who knock/don't understand the military any more ammo!

Anonymous said...

There is no legal way you can force someone to stay in military service if their time is up... That is a contract, and not binding once the time has passed for them to get out...

Anonymous said...

Commercial airlines are forcing passengers off of planes, Armed forces are forcing pilots onto planes. Wow.

Anonymous said...

"There is no legal way you can force someone to stay in military service if their time is up..."

True for enlisted personnel and warrant officers but NOT TRUE for commissioned officers; they serve at the pleasure of the President. Almost all Air Force officers are commissioned.

Jim said...

BUDGET CUTS-- decimating the military to the point where they have to find airplane parts in airplane junkyards.. long, repeated deployments with absurd rules of engagement that cause you to return to base with the bombs you went to drop.. having to listen to idiots running for office who despise the military..

Having to work for a commander-in-chief like the one they've had for the last eight years..

Why would our brave airmen want to leave??

Anonymous said...

They can and have since 1990 91 for sure. Courts have ruled its in the contract when you sign it...

Anonymous said...

lmao, ya'll have no clue, you sign those papers they own you, and if they want you to stay they can make you stay. Now they may have to pay you but you'll stay! Or move to another country! where you'll be free to do what you want until they tell you that you can't do it anymore! lol!