Video Shows F-16 Crash in Flames, Pilot Safely Eject in S. Korea

May 8, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

In the wake of a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter crash near Osan Air Base, South Korea, local media outlets offered dramatic videos of the fiery crash and aftermath.

The F-16, from the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, was flying a routine daytime training sortie until something went wrong and the pilot successfully ejected, according to a release from the 51st Fighter Wing, the host unit at Osan. The Air Force said the pilot was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition. No injuries were reported.

“While we don’t have any additional information yet, we are relieved the pilot safely ejected and there were no other injuries,” Col. Henry R. Jeffress, III, 8th Fighter Wing commander, said in a May 6 statement. “The U.S. Air Force will stand up an independent Safety Investigation Board to review all data and evidence related to today’s incident and use that information to determine its cause and prescribe any corrective safety measures to ensure the safety of the F-16 fleet.”

Neither the 8th Fighter Wing nor the 51st Fighter Wing have released any additional information.

South Korean media outlets, however, have offered more details. Yonhap News Agency reported the fighter caught fire and was mostly destroyed, and broadcasters SBS News and YTN aired footage of the crash site.

SBS News obtained closed caption footage of what it says is the moment of the crash, showing the F-16 coming in at a sharp angle before impacting the ground at high speed and bursting into a massive fireball. The pilot’s parachute is visible in the frame following impact.

YTN showed the resulting fire, with pieces of the aircraft scattered.

A Pacific Air Forces spokesman told Air & Space Forces Magazine the command could not confirm or deny the authenticity of the video.

The crash appears to be the second loss of a U.S. F-16 in the past 14 months. An Air National Guard Fighting Falcon crashed in western Louisiana after the pilot ejected in March 22. A subsequent investigation faulted the pilot for the accident, concluding he had not lost control of the aircraft as he feared, and criticizing him for failing to follow Air Force rules and regulations as he attempted to intercept a civilian aircraft that was not participating in a training exercise. The F-16 was destroyed on impact, for a $27 million loss.

The 8th Fighter Wing, meanwhile, recently began upgrading its F-16s with a suite of 22 modifications, including a new radar and center display technology. The first modernized jet returned to the unit in April, and the rest of the wing’s F-16s are slated to follow suit. It is unclear which model was lost in the accident.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from the 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, takes off from Gwangju AB, ROK, during the Fiscal Year 2023 Korea Flying Training, April 18, 2023. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Harmon

Long-Delayed Nuclear Modernization More Important Than Ever, AFGSC Boss Says

May 7, 2023 | By Chris Gordon

It’s come a few decades later than perhaps it should have, but the U.S. is on the precipice of sweeping and much-needed modernization for its nuclear arsenal, the Air Force’s top boss for strategic forces said May 4.

The Pentagon is spending over $600 billion on its nuclear enterprise this decade, investing in new command, control, and communications systems, ballistic missile submarines, stealth bombers, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, said after the Cold War, the U.S.’s decision not to invest in its nuclear forces was “based on what the world was presenting at the time.” The U.S. was holding out hope on the prospect of friendly relations with Russia, while the economic rise of China was welcomed by many as a peaceful development.

After that, the U.S. military was engaged in two decades of conflict primarily in the Middle East as part of the Global War on Terror—hardly something that put the capabilities of America’s nuclear weapons at the top of mind.

“In hindsight, we would all agree” the U.S. should have started aspects of its current nuclear modernization sooner, Bussiere said at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute. “But we are where we are.”

Now, the need to modernize is acute, Bussiere said. The U.S.’s main adversaries, Russia and China, are not shy about their nuclear capabilities.

“We are now facing two nuclear peer adversaries that have the capability to hold at risk almost anything in any domain at a time and place of their choosing,” Bussiere said. “That’s a very unique aspect that our nation has not faced in many, many decades.”

One of the answers to that issue is the need to invest in a strong nuclear deterrence force, said Bussiere, who took command of AFGSC in December. Bussiere’s comments are backed up by the Nuclear Posture Review released by President Joe Biden’s administration’s last October.

“Our nuclear capabilities remain the ultimate backstop for our strategic deterrence, and that’s why we’re fully committed to modernizing all three legs of our nuclear triad,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said at the time.

Two legs of the nation’s nuclear triad—the nation’s strategic bomber fleet and intercontinental ballistic missiles—fall on the shoulders of over 30,000 AFGSC Airmen. The U.S. is investing billions in the Sentinel ICBM, the Long Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO), and the B-21 Raider stealth bomber.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is on the “back end of the operational margin” of many of its current systems, Bussiere noted.

Yet even the modernization efforts currently underway began before it was clear China was on pace to end up with an arsenal of 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035, according to the Pentagon’s most recent assessment, and in the context of an arms control regime that no longer exists with Russia’s “suspension” of the New START nuclear arms treaty—which is due to expire altogether in 2026.

“We had decades of strategic stability mechanisms with the Soviet Union and then Russia,” Bussiere said. “Even though New START necessarily didn’t account for all of Russia’s weapons, it provided a stability in the international order with that treaty. We have no such thing with China.”

Bussiere said he welcomed a “healthy mix” of strong U.S. nuclear forces, robust international treaties, and nonproliferation mechanisms to stop the list of nuclear states from growing.

AFGSC, however, cannot live in an idealized world, Bussiere warned.

“The international environment is more complicated now than it’s ever been since I’ve been in the Air Force,” Bussiere said. “The current recapitalization efforts in all three legs were planned really against the 2010 threat environment. In my mind, it only makes our efforts to recapitalize more important.”

What You Need to Know About Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Likely Next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

May 5, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

According to multiple media reports, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.—often simply called “CQ”—is expected to be nominated by President Joe Biden to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military’s top job.

Much of the coverage surrounding Brown’s upcoming nomination, which has yet to be officially announced, has focused on the fact that he will be just the second Black chairman ever, after becoming the first Black service chief in U.S. history.

Beyond the historic nature of his nomination, Brown brings an extensive resume to the job, and the events and conditions that shaped his career will now come into play as he serves as Biden’s top military adviser and helps shape the future of the American military. Here are

Experience in Key Theaters

Brown has firsthand knowledge, at multiple levels, of the European and Pacific theaters. He was an F-16 pilot and served as a wing commander at both Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, and Aviano Air Base, Italy. Later, he was deputy commander of U.S. Central Command and head of Pacific Air Forces. Brown’s knowledge of the issues—and first-person contacts with key foreign military leaders in both regions—will likely inform how he advises Biden to handle pressing issues like Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and China’s continued aggressive actions towards Taiwan and other countries in the Pacific.

Up-Close Look at Leadership

Early in his career, Brown was aide-de-camp to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald Fogelman, getting privileged insight into the big-picture issues of manning, training and equipping the world’s preeminent Air Force. Fogelman’s choice to leave the post early—because his advice was not being heeded by the other leaders of the Pentagon—undoubtedly made an impression on Brown that top leaders must act with integrity.

‘Airpower Is the Answer‘

The Air Force hasn’t had one of its own as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 18 years, and advocates are likely hoping Brown may find some success in funneling more resources to the service after years of other branches getting more investment once classified “pass-through” funding for other agencies is removed. That could be especially crucial given the Air Force’s role in a potential conflict with China.

Only a few months ago, Brown made clear how strongly he believes in airpower’s importance during a keynote address at the AFA Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colo., repeatedly coming back to the refrain of “Airpower is the answer.”

Few U.S. military operations can succeed or even begin without the Air Force, Brown said in that speech. Since World War II, no matter what the conflict, America has relied on airpower, from the Doolittle Raiders in the months after Pearl Harbor to Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and even defeating ISIS in Syria. And airpower will remain vital to U.S. operations in the future, Brown told his Airmen.

Signature Air Force Efforts

Brown came into the CSAF job with guns blazing, immediately issuing an edict that the Air Force had to “Accelerate Change or Lose”—a phrase that became his motto.

To that end, he launched or advanced a number of initiatives, such as the Agile Combat Employment concept, which calls for handfuls of fighters and other platforms to play a shell game, swiftly picking up and moving from one location—likely an austere airstrip—to another, to confound the precision missile batteries of an advanced adversary like China.

Related to that effort, Brown also pushed the idea of “Multi-Capable Airmen” who can perform duties outside their typical speciality, to reduce the footprint needed to operate and move between those austere locations. He also has repeatedly urged lower-level Airmen to make their best judgments by knowing their commander’s intent, in the event that communications with leadership are cut off.

Other initiatives include “Integrated by design,” which puts the sharing of information, coordination with partners and allies, and interoperability of forces at the forefront of all planning, and standing up “A-staffs” at the wing level to better coordinate with the top leadership’s A-staff organization.

Brown has acknowledged that his ambitious efforts most likely won’t be fully realized until the end of his expected four-year tour as Chief. In August 2022, he said it has proved harder than he expected to change thinking within the ranks, particularly among some senior leaders.

Personal Style

Brown’s acknowledgement of the difficulty in changing minds—in that August 2022 interview, he bluntly gave himself a “C” grade—is indicative of his direct personal style.

He’s likely to press the other Joint Chiefs to be direct as well and hold them to account. Brown has a reputation for withholding comment until the end of a meeting, but he’s also publicly stated that he dislikes when anyone tries to have “the meeting after the meeting” to steer the agreed course in a different direction. Like Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Brown insists on seeing data that backs up a course of action and reportedly has little patience with arguments of “gut instinct” or “tradition.”

Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs regularly appear before Congress, and Brown offers a relatively successful relationship in that regard—through extensive classified briefings, he has persuaded key lawmakers to go along on with plans to retire what he calls “no longer relevant” platforms, like the A-10, to make room for new ones.

Valuing Diversity

After he had been nominated to be CSAF but before his confirmation hearing, Brown released a personal video message about race relations within the Air Force in the wake of nationwide protests over racial bias. The video went viral—and was considered gutsy by many. Most nominees go into “safe mode” for months before their hearings, avoiding any statements that could be considered controversial. In the end, his unanimous confirmation by the Senate clearly indicated the move was respected.

With the backing of Biden, Brown will likely push for a more inclusive U.S. military that looks even more like America, seeking ways to put military personnel more in touch with the people they defend, so groups not well represented in the military ranks can see it as an option.

51 USAF Job Specialties Qualify for up to $100k Bonuses—What You Need to Know

May 5, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

More than 50 Air Force specialties—from bomber maintenance to cryptologic language analyst to dental hygienist—are eligible for retention bonuses worth up to $100,000 this year, down from 63 last fiscal year.

The Air Force’s Selective Retention Bonus program offers extra pay to Airmen whose skills are in short supply. The numbers change annually. In 2021, as retention spiked amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, only 37 Air Force Specialty Codes were eligible, down from 72 in fiscal 2020, and 115 in 2019. The number bounced up last year.

For this fiscal year, the 51 specialities eligible include some that are perennially undermanned, like Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Survival, Evasion, Resist, and Escape (SERE), and pararescue. Also in short supply: Analysts who speak Russian, Chinese, or Persian; maintainers for the KC-46 and B-52; cyber specialists; and a dozen medical specialties, ranging from mental health services to diagnostic imaging.

New to the bonus list are loadmasters for the HC-130J and MC-130J.

Among those not eligible any longer are 12 Space Force specialty codes.

The formula for bonus calculations is a service member’s monthly basic pay at the time of reenlistment multiplied by the length of the reenlistment in years (capped at six) and multiplied again by a factor, which varies depending on the service’s specific needs. Urgency and a member’s experience level can both influence that number. Experience level is referred to as a zone.

The maximum bonus is $100,000, with a lifetime cap of $360,000.

The full list of AFSCs and corresponding career fields is as follows:

SPECIALTY CODE	CAREER FIELD	ZONE A	ZONE B	ZONE C	ZONE E
1A2X1Q	Aircraft loadmaster – HC-130J	2	2	0	0
1A2X1Z	Aircraft loadmaster – MC-130J	2	2	1	0
1A8X1G	Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst – Chinese	3	3	2	0
1A8X1I	Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst – Russian	2	2	2	0
1A8X1K	Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst – Persian	1	0	0	0
1B4X1	Cyber Warfare Operations	5	4.5	4	3
1C3X1	Command and Control Operations (C2 OPS)	0	1.5	1	0
1C5X1	Command and Control Battle Management Ops	1	1	0	0
1C5X1D	Weapons Directors	3	4	3	0
1D7X1B	Cyber Defense – Systems Operations	1	1	1	0
1D7X1D	Cyber Defense – Security Operations	1	1	1	0
1D7X1Z	Cyber Defense – Software Development Operations	5	4.5	4	3
1D7X2F	Spectrum Defense Operations – Spectrum Operations	1	0	0	0
1N3X1G	Cryptologic Language Analyst – Chinese	3	2	1	0
1N3X1I	Cryptologic Language Analyst – Russian	3	2	1	0
1N3X1K	Cryptologic Language Analyst – Persian	2.5	0	0	0
1N4X1A	Cyber Intelligence – Analyst	3	2	2	0
1N8X1	Targeting Analyst	2	2	1	0
1T0X1	Special Warfare – SERE specialist	5	4.5	4	3
1Z1X1	Pararescue	5	4.5	4	3
1Z2X1	Combat control	5	4.5	4	3
1Z3X1	TACP	5	4.5	4	3
1Z4X1	Special Reconnaissance	5	4.5	4	3
2A375	Advanced Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics	0	2	2	0
2A377	Tactical Aircraft Maintenance – 5th Generation	0	0	1	0
2A378	Remotely Piloted Aircraft Maintenance	0	2	2	0
2A3X5B	Advanced Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics – F-35	1.5	2	0	0
2A5X1A	Airlift/Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance – C-20/C-21/C-22/C-37/C-40/E-4/VC25B/C-130/C-27J	2	0	0	0
2A5X4C	Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance – KC-46	2	2	0	0
2A5X4D	Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance – B-52	0.5	0.5	0	0
2A5X4F	Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance – B-2	1	1	0	0
2M0X0	Missile and Space Systems Maintenance	0	0	0	1
2M0X2	Missile and Space Systems Maintenance	1	0	1	0
2W2X1	Nuclear Weapons	0	1	1	0
3E5X1	Engineering	1	1	0	0
3E8X1	Explosive Ordinance Disposal	5	4.5	4	3
3P0X1A	Military Working Dog Handler	1	0.5	0	0
3P0X1B	Combat Arms Training and Maintenance	1	1	0	0
4C0X1	Mental Health Service	1	1	1	0
4H0X1	Respiratory Care Practitioner	1	0.5	0.5	0
4J0X2A	Orthotics	0	1	1	0
4N0X1C	Aerospace Medical Service – Independent Duty Medical Technician	0	0.5	0	0
4N0X1D	Allergy/Immunization Medical Technician	0	1	0	0
4N0X1F	Flight and Operational Medical Technician	0	1	0.5	0
4N1X1C	Surgical Service – Orthopedics	0	1	0	0
4N1X1D	Surgical Service – Otolaryngology	3	2	2	0
4P0X1	Pharmacy	0.5	0	0	0
4R0X1A	Diagnostic Imaging – Nuclear medicine	1	1	0	0
4R0X1C	Diagnostic Imaging – MRI	0	2	0	0
4V0X1S	Ophthalmic	0	0	1	0
4Y0X1H	Dental hygienist	0	1	1	0

USAF list

Reports: Air Force’s Brown Picked as Next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

May 5, 2023 | By David Roza

President Joe Biden has tapped Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to multiple media reports.

If confirmed by the Senate, Brown will succeed Army Gen. Mark Milley and become the first Air Force general to hold the position since Gen. Richard Myers stepped down in 2005—and only the fifth Airman in the 73-year history of the job.

Politico first reported Brown’s likely nomination May 4. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal have all subsequently reported the news as well.

An F-16 fighter pilot by trade, Brown would bring nearly four decades of military service to the nation’s top military job, including stints as a commander in the Pacific and Middle East. He would also be the second Black service member to serve as Chairman, following Army Gen. Colin Powell, who served as chairman from 1989 to 1993.

After commissioning in 1984, Brown instructed at and commanded the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, then led fighter wings in South Korea and Italy before taking on key positions in major commands at the heart of U.S. national security.

In 2014, Brown was the director of operations for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, shortly after Russia invaded Crimea; from 2015 to 2016, he commanded U.S. Air Forces Central as the U.S. and its allies conducted an air campaign against the Islamic State group; and from 2018 to 2020, he led Pacific Air Forces just as the U.S. shifted its strategic focus from counterterrorism in the Middle East to deterring China in the Pacific.

Shortly after ascending to Chief of Staff of the Air Force in 2020, Brown articulated his vision for the service in a document titled “Accelerate Change or Lose,” a phrase that became his mantra for cutting bureaucracy and promoting innovation across the service.

“I’d rather be uncomfortable than lose. That’s exactly why I wrote ‘Accelerate Change or Lose,’” Brown said in March. “As Airmen, we must think differently about what it means to fly, fight, and win. Because we know that our speed, agility, and lethality are exponential force multipliers to any global military operation.”

As part of that approach, Brown has urged Airmen to adopt a faster, more risk-tolerant mindset in pursuit of new tactics and technologies in order to defeat China and Russia in a possible conflict.

In March, he unveiled his future operating concept to inform the Air Force’s future force design, emphasizing the importance of Airpower in any conflict.

In addition to his push to cut bureaucracy, Brown has also made removing gender and racial disparities from the Air Force a top priority, as the Department of the Air Force has ordered sweeping reviews into the state of those disparities.

Prior to his confirmation as the first ever Black Air Force Chief of Staff, Brown released a video in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd and the ensuing nationwide protests about racial bias. In that video, which generated national headlines, Brown discussed his own challenges while rising through the predominantly-White ranks of the Air Force fighter pilot corps.

“I’m thinking about the pressure I felt to perform error-free, especially for supervisors I perceived had expected less from me as an African-American,” Brown said in that video. “I’m thinking about having to represent by working twice as hard to prove their expectations and perceptions of African Americans were invalid.”

As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brown will face both social and strategic challenges, as the military not only strives to stay ahead of China but also struggles to attract new talent at a time where declining propensity to serve is hurting recruitment numbers across several of the services. Though the chairman has no operational command authority over the armed forces, Brown would be the top military adviser to President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

As a native Texan, Brown also brings decades of experience smoking Texas brisket low and slow, as well as a lifelong love for the superhero Spider-Man.

Brown’s likely selection as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs would also create a vacancy for the Air Force’s top job.

Push to Expand 5G Coverage Would Cost USAF At Least $2 Billion, Brown Says

May 4, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

The sale to commercial entities of the 3.3-3.45 gigahertz portion of the electromagnetic spectrum—called the S-band—would cost the Department of the Air Force well upwards of $2 billion, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.

Telecommunications companies seeking to grow their 5G business, and some members of Congress, are urging the Federal Communications Commission to auction off access to the S-band, after a bill to permit it died in the last session of Congress. Similar auctions for other parts of the spectrum have generated billions of dollars for the government in recent year.

Military leaders continue to balk, however, saying the loss of that part of the spectrum would severely compromise their operations.

“There’s a number of weapon systems that operate within that band,” Brown told the SASC on May 2. “I’ll just give you one example: our C-130 station keeping [equipment].

“If that band was actually moved and we had to redesign, it will cost roughly about $2 billion, just for that one platform. And we have a number of platforms that operate within … the S-band, so it’s critical that we understand the impact” of its loss to commercial use, Brown said.

The C-130 system Brown referred to is the AN/APN-243, which allows the aircraft to fly in formation in blackout conditions. The system provides highly accurate altitude and course information, as well as proximity warnings to prevent the aircraft from colliding in the absence of visual cues. It allows up to 36 aircraft to fly in tight formation in zero visibility.

There would be still other system redesigns required if the Air Force lost access to the S-band, Brown added, though he did not specify them.

Saltzman, asked to add the Space Force perspective, said “that particular band is a radar band that allows us to look into deep space.”

In particular, the Space Force is developing a radar in that band to enhance its space domain awareness, Saltzman said.

“If we were not able to use that piece of spectrum, not only would we lose the time that we’ve already invested—[and] as much as several hundred million dollars that we’ve already put into development—but it would also mean that we have to use a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which isn’t as capable in determining and discriminating capabilities in deep space,” he explained.

Brown and Saltzman are not the only military leaders to offer warnings about a potential S-band sale. Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, head of U.S. Northern Command, told lawmakers in March that “multiple platforms” that he relies on would be significantly harmed by the change.

These include “maritime homeland defense systems, airborne early warning platforms [and] ground-based early warning platforms that enable me to provide threat warning, attack assessment and defend from potentially airborne [threats],” VanHerck said.

The Navy’s Aegis air defense radar system uses the S-Band, and assistant secretary of defense for space policy John Plumb, told House lawmakers in March that redesigning Aegis would cost in excess of $120 billion. The Aegis is considered to be one of the only threat detection and tracking radars capable of spotting hypersonic missiles.

In a March 16 report, the Congressional Research Service agreed that allowing commercial access to S-Band would impose big costs on the military services.

“While an auction of the segment for commercial use could drive wireless expansion and generate significant revenues,” the CRS said, “technical experts assert that reallocation of the band from federal to nonfederal use would require complex and high-cost modifications to DOD systems and would affect DOD operations.”

A bill passed in the House last year, the “Spectrum Innovation Act,” would have allowed telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon to buy S-band access at auction. A corresponding Senate bill never passed, and the bill wasn’t included in the fiscal 2023 federal appropriations bill.

Wilsbach Nominated to Be the New Boss at Air Combat Command

May 4, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach has been nominated to take over as the head of Air Combat Command, USAF’s largest major command by Active-Duty personnel, Air & Space Forces Magazine confirmed May 4.

Wilsbach’s nomination reached the Senate on May 2. An Air Force official confirmed the nomination is to lead ACC. Wilsbach will be replaced at PACAF by Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Schneider, who was nominated to take the post April 24. Schneider had been the director of the Air Force staff.

Since taking command of PACAF in July 2020, Wilsbach has overseen the command’s continued pivot toward Agile Combat Employment, including the deployment of fifth-generation fighters to Tinian and the Philippines for the first time. PACAF has also frequently deployed fighters and bombers as of late to fly alongside Japanese and South Korean aircraft in response to North Korean missile tests.

Prior to his time at PACAF, Wilsbach was deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea and commander of Alaskan Command under U.S. Northern Command. He has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels, and is a command pilot with experience in the F-15C, F-16, and F-22, having flown 71 combat missions in operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch and Enduring Freedom.

If confirmed, Wilsbach will oversee several key initiatives at ACC—the continued transition of more and more units to the F-35, testing and eventual delivery of the F-15EX to operational units, potential retirements for the A-10 and F-22, and rapid development and incorporation of Collaborative Combat Aircraft into the fleet.

Given his experience in the Pacific, Wilsbach offers a depth of knowledge on China, which Pentagon and Air Force leaders continue to emphasize as the “pacing challenge” for the U.S.

If confirmed, Wilsbach will succeed Gen. Mark D. Kelly, who has led ACC and its more than 87,000 Airmen and 1,100 aircraft since August 2020.

But before Wilsbach can take over an aircraft inventory that ranges from F-35s to E-3 Sentrys to the U-2 Dragon Lady, he must first overcome the hold on flag and general officer nominations imposed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who is using that power to protest the administration’s policy to allow the military to cover the cost of travel for female service members seeking abortions. DOD officials say the policy is necessary to enable equal treatment of troops under the law, and Democratic lawmakers have criticized Tuberville for hurting readiness and delaying leadership moves.

How USAF Is Tackling Pilot Retention: More Money, More Stability

May 4, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

As the Air Force battles a persistent pilot shortage made worse by aging training aircraft, the service has started approaching its current pilots earlier in their careers to offer retention incentives, hoping to convince them to stay in the military longer, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said May 2.

At the same time, the Air Force is set to launch a new program in the coming months that will offer bonuses and guaranteed assignment locations to selected pilots and rated officers.

In his written testimony for the Senate Armed Services Committee’s readiness subpanel, Allvin noted that the Air Force had a net loss of about 250 pilots in fiscal 2022 and ended the year 1,900 pilots short of its goal of 21,000. Commercial industry has been hiring at high rates coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects continued demand through the rest of the decade.

Allvin was pressed by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) about why Air Force pilots choose to leave the service, especially those who do so after completing their initial 10-year commitment.

Citing an aircrew survey that was completed in March, Allvin named three main reasons aviators leave:

Lack of a stable home life

Money

Duties that take away from flying—“Pilots like to fly,” Allvin noted.

USAF is trying to limit the frequency of deployments now that rotations to the Middle East have diminished, and is working to be more flexibility in where pilots are stationed, Allvin said.

“One of the advantages of technology is it allows us to be more interactive with the individuals in the assignment process,” he explained. “Before, the needs of the Air Force would shape your career. Now we have a talent marketplace where they can go out and at least provide some more input, have a little more agency in their future assignments.”

The Air Force’s main compensation lever is aviation bonuses, which paid out $15,000 to $35,000 annually, depending on skillset and contract length, under the fiscal 2022 bonus program. The updated rates could be out within a month, an Air Force spokesperson said.

The problem, Allvin said, is that pilots need to be incentivized to stay well before they reach the end of their 10-year commitments. For many, the bonuses come too late to change plans already years in the making.

“What we have done now is offered these incentives to them three years before the commitment is done,” Allvin explained. “Now, obviously, we’re asking for a longer commitment, but at that time, it’s helping them cement their future, see where their families are and have that predictability.”

Whether the earlier bonuses will make mid-career pilot retention easier is not yet clear. “We just started this,” Allvin said—but the service is optimistic that offering more stability will improve retention.

Other initiatives are also in the works. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) highlighted a section in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act directing the Air Force to establish a demonstration program to offer bonuses worth up to $50,000 annually and/or guaranteed future assignment locations to sweeten the pot.

Though Allvin offered no details, an Air Force spokeswoman told Air & Space Forces Magazine plans are being finalized and the new program should be ready to roll out this summer.

Additionally, an aircrew task force is working on “establishing holistic Total Force retention goals, integrated data-sharing, increased use of advanced analytical tools, consolidation of enterprise lines of effort, and continuous improvement to sustain a healthy crew force,” the spokeswoman said.

First-Term Airmen Can Retrain More Easily Under New Policy Aimed at Retention

May 4, 2023 | By David Roza

The Air Force wants to make it easier for Airmen in their first term of enlistment to retrain into another career field, under a new policy that lifts some of the hoops that were previously involved in the process.

Starting June 1, first-term Airmen can retrain into any Air Force Specialty Code they qualify for that is under 90 percent manned prior to separation, even if the AFSC they currently belong to is below 90 percent manned, according to a press release published April 28.

Airmen who decide to pursue another career field will no longer have to undergo a First-Term Airman Retaining Selection Board, which should make for a more streamlined “first in, first out” process, the release explained. However, Airmen must still be within their retaining window and meet the relevant medical and Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory standards, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score, and physical fitness standards.

The first phase of the first-term Airmen retraining quotas will be open to all such airmen entering their retraining window during fiscal year 2024. The policy will be reassessed a year from now, on June 1, 2024, unless it is rescinded earlier, the press release said.

“Providing these opportunities for our Airmen helps us keep talent on the bench,” Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass said in the press release. “While this particular change impacts first-term Airmen, expect to see more initiatives like this as we evolve our policies and talent management to focus on the force of the future and building the Air Force our nation needs.”

The new policy comes as the Air Force struggles to hit its recruitment goals. The service expects a 10 percent shortfall this year in the Active Air Force and a greater gap in the Guard and Reserve. Officials say some of the challenges include a low unemployment rate and a declining propensity to serve. On the flip side, the Air Force generally enjoys strong retention levels.

“Retention numbers look very good,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in March. “We’re keeping the people that we get, but we need to get more people.”