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A confluence of circumstances in the Air Force has “birthed a national aircrew crisis,” the service’s manpower chief warned the House Armed Service Committee’s military personnel subcommittee
on March 29, 2017.
Several factors contribute to the crisis,
Lt. Gen. Gina M. Grosso, Air Force deputy chief of staff for
manpower and personnel services told the House panel.
Those factors include 26 years of high operational tempo,
commercial industry’s demand for pilots and “cultural issues that
affect the quality of life and service for our airmen,” she said.
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March 21, 2017 - A pilot with the 18th Aggressor Squadron, based
out of Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, prepares to taxi his F-16
Fighting Falcon at Royal Australian Air Force Base Williamtown
during Exercise Diamond Shield 2017 in New South Wales, Australia.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Steven R. Doty)
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Grosso testified about aviation shortfalls alongside Marine
Corps Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
Lt. Gen. Mark A. Brilakis, Chief of Naval Personnel
Vice Adm. Robert P. Burke and director of Army Aviation Maj.
Gen. Erik C. Peterson.
Air Force Short More Than 1,500 Pilots
Grosso cautioned the representatives that the Air Force’s
ability to be “always there” isn’t cheap.
“Being ‘always there’ comes at a cost to equipment,
infrastructure and most importantly, our airmen,” she said. “And we
are now at a decision point: sustained global commitments and recent
funding cuts affect capacity and capability for a full-spectrum
fight against a near-peer adversary.”
At the end of fiscal year 2016, Grosso said, the Air
Force’s active and reserve components were short a total of 1,555
pilots, including 1,211 fighter pilots. The cost to train a
fifth-generation fighter pilot, she noted, is around $11 million.
“A 1,200 fighter-pilot shortage amounts to a $12 billion
capital loss for the United States Air Force,” she said.
Commercial Firms Offer Stiff Competition
Grosso told the subcommittee an upcoming surge of mandatory
retirements for commercial airline pilots and an increasing market
for global commerce is causing the civilian aviation industry to
begin hiring “at unprecedented rates.”
She acknowledged money is a primary factor in the squeeze
on military pilot ranks. Major airlines hired more than 4,100 pilots
last year, and the average pay increase for commercial pilots was 17
percent, she said.
“These annual hiring levels are expected to continue for
the next 10 to 15 years,” she added.
Grosso said a 2015 exit survey revealed reasons the Air
Force is losing talent include “too many duties unrelated to flying,
inability to maintain work-life balance, and availability of
civilian jobs, in that order.”
‘Holistic Strategy’ Against Pilot Shortage
The Air Force will take a three-pronged approach to the
shortage crisis, the general said: reduce requirements, increase
production and increase retention.
The service already has cut the number of pilots filling
operational planning positions to prioritize manning at flying
squadrons, she said, and will expand undergraduate pilot training to
the maximum capacity of 1,400 pilots a year.
However, Grosso said, “future increases in throughput will
require additional manpower, infrastructure, operations and
maintenance resources.”
The Air Force is working to improve retention through a
number of “nonmonetary programs” to improve quality of life, ranging
from reducing additional duties to outsourcing some routine
administrative tasks in operational squadrons, she said.
“All of these efforts give time back to our aviators so
they can focus on their primary duty – flying,” Grosso said.
The Air Force also offers an aviation bonus of $35,000, she
said. The bonus increase from an 18-year-old cap
of
$25,000 per year was authorized by last
year’s defense authorization act, but it fell short of the service’s
request to raise the limit to $48,000.
The service will keep exploring ways
to bolster retention, Grosso said.
“The Air Force is committed to a
holistic strategy to maintain our pilot inventory as we face
external and internal challenges,” she said. “While we aggressively
pursue creative means to respond to the demands on our pilots, our
attention will be focused on developing an agile set of solutions.”
By Karen Parrish
DOD News
Copyright 2017
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