180 fighter, bomber pilots to be reassigned

Above: A Hellfire missile is unloaded from an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehiclebefore it returns to the hanger at Balad Air Base following a mission last week

Faced with fewer fighters and bombers and a growing need to fill jobs involving remote-controlled aircraft, special operations, and command and control, the Air Force will start reassigning pilots and enlisted aircrew members to other jobs.

The Air Force is looking at moving about 180 pilots out of fighter and bomber assignments and 400 enlisted aircrew members, officials told Air Force Times.

The selection process for the pilots will start with the October assignment cycle and last through January. The assignment for the enlisted aircrew members will be phased in as part of their usual assignment cycle.

Targeted among the pilots are 120 “inexperienced” aviators in fighter and bomber billets and 60 “experienced” pilots in fighter positions. The inexperienced pilots — typically lieutenants and junior captains — will be reassigned to fly UAVs or special operations aircraft. The veteran pilots — senior captains and majors — are destined to staff air operations centers or work as air liaison officers with the Army.

Read the rest at Air Force Times

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