Originally Posted by
hvydvr
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.
The Navy has tried over the years several different programs not requiring a degree. What you are missing is the complexity of the weapon systems the Navy and AirForce employ off aircraft. Flying the aircraft is a means to employ weapons. The Navy and AirFrorce employ far more sophisticated systems and more types. Many of those systems are far more complex than learning to fly the aircraft.