Originally Posted by
Xray678
The Air Force should adopt the Army model. The bulk of pilots should be Warrant Officers. There is nothing magic about flying that requires a four year degree. Two years college, make them a W-1 and send them to UPT.
Great idea if it was an accession issue. It's not.
There is zero shortage of people who want to be AF pilots. None. There has never been an empty seat on the first day of UPT. Not one.
Unfortunately, the shortage is 10 year experienced guys who actually know what they are doing. Officers in their shoes get out for every reason under the sun--pay, QoL, queep. Give a warrant officer the same fixed wing qualifications as the current officers at the end of their service commitments and they will punch out at the same rate. So unless WOs have some secret source of patriotism that only they know of, this is really a non-starter.