Military Pilot Shortage

Pilot demand is increasing in the commercial sector, and the demand to hire qualified military pilots is higher than the available pool of candidates. This demand has led to a shortage of pilots across the services, with the problem being particularly acute in the United States Air Force, with a deficit at this point of over 1,000 total pilots. We cannot buy our way out of this problem since the military cannot compete with the potential salaries and, in some cases, the lifestyle of the commercial airlines. The services must use all the levers in their control, from an increase in bonuses to changes in the assignment system to changes in promotion to incentives, to incentivize pilots to remain in the military. The shortage of military pilots has a direct impact on readiness. The reaction to the shortage has typically been along the same veins: to throw more money at the problem in the form of cash retention bonuses. But without addressing the root causes, this will do little to stem the departure of valuable experienced military pilots. Service members are not in it for the money. Military pilots serve for love of country and for love of flying. There are many reasons besides money that military pilots leave the service for the private sector, including family concerns and a desire for more stability, too few flying hours, and too many assigned tasks unrelated to flying. It costs millions of dollars and years of training to produce just a single aviator. We therefore need to think broadly and creatively about how best to retain the skilled aviators that the U. S. needs.