Originally Posted by
C130driver
No..cyber and space are growing domains yes - but the primary mission of the Air Force remains putting airplanes in the air. So yes, Pilots run the Air Force, as they should. While they don’t lead large groups of enlisted people early in their careers, the combat leadership of leading a formation in hostile territory, managing a diverse crew in podunk locations, and planning / executing operational missions more than makes up for the lack of leading a handful of airmen in garrison.
You do realize that there are many Captains and majors in the USAF that will lead squadrons of nearly 1000 before most pilots ever lead more than a formation, right?