Air Force could recall as many as 1,000 retired pilots to address serious shortage

[workinclasszero]

Air Force could recall as many as 1,000 retired pilots to address serious shortage
Tom Vanden Brook and Gregory Korte, USA TODAY Published 4:18 p.m. ET Oct. 20, 2017 | Updated 8:50 p.m. ET Oct. 20, 2017

WASHINGTON — President Trump signed an executive order Friday allowing the Air Force to recall as many as 1,000 retired pilots to active duty to address a shortage in combat fliers, the White House and Pentagon announced.

By law, only 25 retired officers can be brought back to serve in any one branch. Trump's order removes those caps by expanding a state of national emergency declared by President George W. Bush after 9/11, signaling what could be a significant escalation in the 16-year-old global war on terror.

"We anticipate that the Secretary of Defense will delegate the authority to the Secretary of the Air Force to recall up to 1,000 retired pilots for up to three years," Navy Cdr. Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

But the executive order itself is not specific to the Air Force, and could conceivably be used in the future to call up more officers and in other branches.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/20/air-force-recall-many-1-000-retired-pilots-address-serious-shortage/785344001/

[workinclasszero]

1. The war drums are growing louder folks

Can you hear them?

[pangaia]

2. 1000 more? In addition to how many?

What in the world do we need so many pilots for?

What is there to do all day?

Are we bombing THAT many countries?

Fucking Moron

[riversedge]

3. According the this the wars will be expanding!! Wasn't it a campaign deal by Trump to get us

out of world wide wars??


.....On Capitol Hill, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and a member of Armed Services Committee, said that the fight against Islamic State and al-Qaeda linked terrorists will be expanding. He spoke to reporters while speaking about the four U.S. soldiers killed Oct. 4 in Niger.

Counter-terrorism rules under President Obama had been too restrictive and ineffective, Graham said.

“The war is morphing," Graham said. "You’re going to see more actions in Africa, not less. You’re going to see more aggression by the United States toward our enemies, not less. You’re going to have decisions made not in the White House but out in the field. And I support that entire construct.”

[Kittycow]

12. Fuckin A

(That phrase sprang up from the memory bank for some reason. In my day, that indicated disgust.)

Anyway, let Senator Graham get his ass out onto the battlefield! It sounds like he's trying to justify the Niger deaths by sending in a ton of troops in to start another war/US occupation instead of admitting that they screwed up with whatever crap they were doing there off the radar.

Yeah, President Obama was really ineffectual by not starting WW3.

[Demtexan]

4. He is playing with peoples lifes.

People are not toys.

Draft dodger is trying to start a war someplace.

[GulfCoast66]

5. And if they ignore the orders?

At this point I think many will. So lock them up? That won't play well.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Retired AF officers will not want to put their retirement pension at risk.

That is why recalling retired pilots is more of a sure thing than calling up younger pilots who were just discharged, not retired.

[Skittles]

14. a lot of retired military pilots fly for airlines

[Irish_Dem]

17. Yes be if they get recalled they will have to go. nt

[Wellstone ruled]

7. So Recruiting is in the Toilet

and the Academy Cadets must be washing out in Pilot Training School .

[Kittycow]

13. I am thinking that Air Force recruiting might be down

because the Evangelicals have such a stronghold on the Academy. The stories of religious pressure there have been coming out for years.

[Wellstone ruled]

18. Sure appears to be the case.

With the Rethugs able to appoint their Lilly White only Sons of their Wealthy Donors,well,you end up with Persons who will take the Free Education,and it is one Fantastic Education,and not go near Pilot Training or anything that might ruffle their hair do.

[Doreen]

8. When my nephew was finished in the Army he had a six year

period afterwards that if they feel they need him they can call him back. This scares me because his six years are not up yet. The moment trump took office I started to fear that these young veterans will be forced to go back. Since trump will have no desire what so ever to help other countries rebuild when he is finished destroying them he would probably just put my nephew in the heart of battle. My nephew is a civil engineer. I do not think it is just the Air Force veterans who have to worry I think it is all military branches. This is scary.

[smirkymonkey]

9. Nooo! My brother just retired a month ago. He has already done five deployments.

He has a wife and two young children. He has put in his time. I suppose Trump is going to tell my family "He knew what he signed up for". Motherfucking bastard! I can't even begin to express how much I hate him!

[workinclasszero]

11. "I suppose Trump is going to tell my family "He knew what he signed up for".

I have no doubt that's exactly what the draft dodger-in-charge would say!

[Generic Other]

10. Well this will really scare Kim

Dotard's senior citizen recruits.

And yes I know they are probably young and capable. Still I can't shake the image of how such news would be received in Pyongyang. The idea of the US threatening anyone to war. Clearly, we have the firepower but for whatever reason, it doesn't look like we have the manpower. Most dictators and warlords bring in the older men and underage boys at the end of a war, not the beginning.

[burnbaby]

15. Draft time

Now we will see the repugs running scared

[Lee-Lee]

16. The Air Force has been dealing with a pilot shortage for 3-4 years now

And they haven't fixed it yet.

The problem is retention. And pilots are harder to replace than most jobs in the military so when you can't keep enough in you can't replace them fast enough.