Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley says the Air Force has a surplus of fighter/bomber pilots and a deficit of rated aircrew for unmanned aerial vehicle, special operations, and command and control units. And, he maintains in a newly posted Chief’s Scope, that he is “on fire about this.” The problem with the bomber/fighter cadre is that with such a fat roster, Moseley says the junior airmen get less flying time. Consequently, their “combat readiness and continued professional development” is stunted, explained the Chief.
The Pentagon is counting on Congress to navigate a legislative tightrope and pass a party-line bill to fund nearly a quarter of its $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027, including billions of dollars for top priorities like Golden Dome, the F-35, munitions, and unmanned systems. Experts and lawmakers from…