>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.
>... 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.
> The Air Force needs about 1,500 pilots more than it has. Bonus programs and other incentives have not made up the shortfall.
Because they haven't been offering enough? I find it hard to believe they couldn't find 1500 pilots to come back for a million a piece, surely if something's important enough to sign into law as an EO it's worth the price of ten F-22's.
Paying people more takes Congressional action and costs money, above and beyond the pay those people would make based on rank, time in service, etc.
Signing an EO doesn't require Congress, and doesn't cost extra money. Plus, if you use the USAF pilot shortage to justify it to Congress, they might limit the numbers to the quantity you can justify as necessary for that purpose, and limit the use of whatever solution is adopted to USAF pilots. With this EO, there are no numerical or functional limits, the military can reactivate whoever it decides it needs.
Air Force will recall as many as 1,000 retired pilots to address serious shortage https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/20/air-...
>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.
>... 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.