{"id":54332,"date":"2017-08-07T14:25:50","date_gmt":"2017-08-07T14:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/08\/07\/air-force-pilot-shortfall-is-dangerous-for-the-us-commentary\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:59:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:59:48","slug":"air-force-pilot-shortfall-is-dangerous-for-the-us-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2017\/08\/07\/air-force-pilot-shortfall-is-dangerous-for-the-us-commentary\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force pilot shortfall is dangerous for the US [Commentary]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I began my career as an enlisted airman stationed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. As an 18-year-old airman, I marveled as I watched the line of C-130s take and land in perfect sequence. I was awed as I watched the young pilots exit the aircraft in their flight suits. Even as a new airman, I understood that if our country asked them to, they would lead our the U.S. Air Force into harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the Air Force and our nation are in crises because we don\u2019t have enough pilots. Since the 1991 Gulf War, the Air Force lost 30 percent of its personnel and was forced by budget shortages to cut combat-coded fighter squadrons by nearly 60 percent. As a result, the Air Force has a shortage of 1,555 pilots \u2014 1,211 of them are key fighter pilot billets. And while we are currently focused on the pilot shortage, the Air Force is also short 3,500 maintenance personnel. Those numbers directly impact aircraft available to fly, negatively impact readiness and have lowered morale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly this problem is complex and didn\u2019t happen overnight. There is no delicate way to say this so I\u2019ll just be blunt: The reduction from 134 fighter squadrons to just 55 was a grave mistake. Decision-makers can blame it on seeking the \u201cpeace dividend,\u201d budget constraints, reducing the federal deficit or whatever, but it fundamentally was a bad decision. Think about those young pilots who thrived in a robust squadron environment, pushing and challenging each other to be the best pilot in the unit, who watched their numbers drop by 60 percent in an environment where the operations tempo was on the rise. What did that do to their morale? What did that do to their faith and trust in government leaders?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concurrently, Air Force aircraft and equipment are too old and we are losing our technological edge. I own a vintage 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. I baby that car, wash and wax it often, and take it out for a drive about once a week. However, I would likely not drive it from Washington, D.C., to California. And by the way, it has antique plates. The average age of Air Force aircraft is 28 years while the average commercial airliner is 10 years. The age of older systems such as B-52s, KC-135s and some trainers is more than 50 years! The F-16 fighting falcon was first introduced in 1978. The F-15 Eagle took flight in 1976. These are all still front-line weapon systems that would all qualify for antique plates.<\/p>\n\n\n\t