The pilot of an F-16 from the 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah, ejected safely on Thursday afternoon before his aircraft crashed near the Great Salt Lake, near Carrington Island. The F-16, one of a four-ship training sortie flying over the northern part of the Utah Test and Training Range, was having engine problems for some time, reported the Salt Lake Tribune.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…