>>I find having to do this very concerning. Why are there not more pilots coming through the ranks?
Some may be getting rated, serving the minimum time and getting out. Others may be moving to more political jobs like Public Information or Diversity Compliance jobs. I’m sure the AF is pushing a lot of people who unsuitable for the job through to fulfill quotas and then make the Maintenance Officers as soon as it can.
As I posted in an earlier thread on this story:
Just goes to show that retiring on half of one’s base pay at 20 years comes with a “condition” - subject to recall to active duty at the convenience of the government. And for officers after separation into the IRR if they don’t retire.
I have a deceased distant cousin who was of my great grandfather’s generation who served from 1900 to the mid-1930s going from enlisted to getting a commission in Infantry in 1917 and finally retiring as a Major. He was recalled to active duty during WWII to fill a stateside Army billet at March Army Air Field and re-retired at the end of the war. This information is from my father, who was also assigned to March AAF during WWII.
Also, I remember that Zot once posted a story about him becoming the squadron maintenance officer after being a long time bombardier/navigator on B-47’s. The posting came because of an inspection saying that they needed an aircraft qualified person to oversee the maintenance effort. Zot, Please correct me if I’ve gotten it wrong.