Air Force may recall up to 1,000 retired military pilots to address 'acute shortage'

ABC News ^ | October 21, 2017 | Morgan Winsor

[be-baw]

The United States Air Force could recall as many as 1,000 retired military pilots to active-duty service to address an acute shortage in its ranks.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday allowing the Air Force to call back to service up to 1,000 retired aviation officers who wish to return, the White House and the Pentagon announced.

[Mark17]

The Air Force basically only lets people with engineering degrees become pilots.

My son majored in International Relations, emphasizing economics. He will enter USAF pilot training in a few months. The majority of the pilots I knew at Laughlin, did not have engineering degrees. I think the USAF would prefer engineering, but it is not a hard and fast rule.

[kaehurowing]

Yeah, I remember the Air Force Academy was the first service academy to start targeting and going after Christians.

[Mark17]

Another thing: Army Infantry never refers to Air Force ground support pilots as “pukes”

I am sure you are correct sir. After all, I believe it was USAF fast movers, that were instrumental, in saving USMC lives at Khe Sanh, with napalm/willie peter munitions. . Spectres did a number on the NVA, moving supplies down the HCM trail. Also, Lt General Horner, and his staff, did an unbelievably good job, coming up with a daily, safe ATO, during the Gulf War. And, of course, don’t forget John Levitow, the only USAF enlisted man to win the Medal of Honor, for his heroics, as a Spooky crew member.
When push comes to shove, however, and the balloon goes up, I believe we all know we are on the same side. There might be, of course, some friendly rivalry, between USAF pilots and the rest. I know for a fact, there is friendly rivalry among the air traffic controllers. We USAF air traffic controllers thought we were the BEST there is. 🙃😀

[Mark17]

Army pilots are all rotor-heads.

In Vietnam, I saw Army pilots flying fixed wing U-21 and OV-1 aircraft. I don’t know if they still have any fixed wing aircraft, but they did then.

[huldah1776]

So why not get rid of the Air Force? Navy, Army, and Marines all need the equipment and the pilots.

[trebb]

Another question might be, "How many opted to get out (or not enter) due to Obama?"

Those who actually waged battle were more depressed over having that POS as CinC than anyone else....

[misanthrope]

Your posts are very entertaining and informative.

Thanks!

[Kaslin]

That shows the poster’s ignorance. As they fly helicopters

[Elsie]

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday allowing the Air Force to call back to service up to 1,000 retired aviation officers who wish to return, the White House and the Pentagon announced.

HMMMmmm...

My wife's doctor; in her 60's; just re-enlisted in the Army Reserve.

[Elsie]

I wonder if this will be spun as “Trump Reinstates Military Draft.”

No.

It will be...

Trump's press gangs are running rampant in AMERICA!!!

[Elsie]

Wright Flight helps children get interested in the history of flight, flying and becoming pilots.

While most of America's kids get high another way.

[Elsie]

I also know air force pilots view army pilots as just slightly more competent than retards

And we KNOW how Marines view the Air Force guys!

[Alas Babylon!]

Absolutely correct.

Human wave tactics are the province of today’s future war losers.

Smart munitions and modern technology cost a lot more, but what is the worth of a single American soldier, sailor, airmen or Marine?

[Elsie]

it has not been possible for a manned aircraft to outrun or out-turn a pursuing missile.

Mechanical kamikazes!

[Alas Babylon!]

Actually, the USAF upgraded a couple of Air Force Crosses to MOH for two more Airmen from the Vietnam war;

Chief Master Sergeant Dick Etchberger; who did not initially get the MOH because he earned it (posthumously) in Laos, a country we were not supposed to be in.

Tribute – CMSgt. Richard Etchberger: What He Did in Laos to Earn a Posthumous Medal of Honor in 2010

A1C Bill Pitsenbarger; in Vietnam, also, posthumously.

[opbuzz]

I doubt that they are “retired”.

[Mark17]

Pitsenbarger was at Bien Hoa, the same place I was at.

[kearnyirish2]

They couldn’t fight the war so far away; they resorted to sending mercenaries, they couldn’t even hold Boston (probably the closest American city to London), and they had to defend Canada rather than use it as an offensive post. Holding the coastal areas of the US simply wasn’t a winning strategy; the “hinterland” to which you refer not only provided the colonists with everything they needed, but denied the British the very resources for which they ever wanted the colonies to begin with.

Can you envision any scenario under which Britain could win? Were they going to fill the colonies all the way to the frontier with redcoats? Once the colonists were armed the ensuing years were a mere formality; they could have won 100 more battles after Yorktown and would still lose the war.

[laplata]

Right on, bro!

[equaviator]

Okay, we couldn't do it again like that. There is no "can-do" spirit like there once was. The can-do spirit is a rare commodity in today's business world. In fact, it's frowned upon by many who have their own workplace agendas. They're more concerned with what their co-workers say and do than they are with the responsibilities of their own jobs. Skilled in collusion tactics, reprisals and deception, they can't afford to be honest about what they're really doing. We didn't get to be the Arsenal of Democracy with work habits like that.