The U.S. Air Force is struggling to fill a shortage of 700 fighter pilots by the end of the year, even as the U.S. battles in three air wars against ISIS in Iraq, Syria and Libya.
“It is a crisis,” said the U.S. Air Force’s new top officer, Gen. David Goldfein, aside Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James at the annual “State of the Air Force” briefing at the Pentagon Wednesday.
“Air superiority is not an American birthright," Goldfein said. "It’s actually something you have to fight for and maintain.”
Airmen told Fox News, in addition to the pilot shortage, they are 4,000 mechanics short as well.
Shorthanded crews are now forced to scrounge for spare parts in museums and the “boneyard,” a graveyard of planes in the Arizona desert to fix their planes because the parts are not made anymore.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Wednesday that she is planning to pay drone pilots a $35,000 a year retention bonus to encourage them to stay in the service.
The $35,000 a year retention bonus would be an increase over $25,000 bonus the service has been allowed to provide, and all drone pilots would be eligible once their service contract is up.
James added that Air Force needs the authority to increase bonuses for all pilots in order to address the shortage.
The Air Force has grappled with pilot retention for some time, particularly as airlines look to hire them, promising higher salaries and benefits.
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3 comments:
You can thank that coward and muslim in chief. he wiped out all branches,they will eed rebuilding as soon as we send obummer packing back to his camel wife.
I think they just don't like the new Obama declared uniforms , pink and brown cammo or rainbow colors.
According to a previous article on this blog, somebody is stealing all of the money at the Pentagon.
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