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A mismatch in the late 1990s between the qualifications needed for key general officer positions and the backgrounds of available candidates stimulated RAND research and then an extensive U.S. Air Force effort to improve the development of future senior leaders. In the past, most officers were managed within their career fields and were too narrowly specialized.

Command of troops. --- Leadership, Military --- Military leadership --- Troops, Command of --- Military art and science --- Leadership --- United States. --- AF --- Air Force (U.S.) --- U.S.A.F. --- United States Air Force --- US Air Force --- USAF --- Officers. --- Occupational specialties. --- Personnel management. --- AF (Air force) --- U.S.A.F. (Air force) --- USAF (Air force)

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The Air Force is facing a pilot shortage that is unprecedented in its peacetime history. The FY99 shortfall exceeded 1200 pilots, and by FY02 it is projected to grow to about 2000 pilots, almost 15 percent of the total requirement. Unprecedented losses are occurring for pilots reaching the end of their initial active duty service commitment as well as for pilots who complete bonus-related obligations. Since FY97, three pilots have left active duty for every two new pilots the Air Force has trained. Half of the shortfall occurs in fighters, which has implications for combat capability and operational readiness. Operational units (i.e., those with combat responsibilities) are the only assignment options for newly trained pilots while they mature and develop their mission knowledge. Thus, these units require enough experienced pilots (those who have completed at least one operational tour in the mission aircraft) to supervise the development (or "aging") of the new pilots. As the proportion of experienced pilots in a unit drops, each one must fly more to provide essential supervision to an increasing number of new pilots. When the unit's flying capacity remains fixed, new pilots must each fly less, extending the time needed to become experienced themselves. This report, dealing with operational fighter units, quantifies these experience problems and examines options that can alleviate them. The options include Total Force alternatives, such as associate programs in active units and "aging" active pilots in Guard and Reserve units. Advantages and pitfalls are described for each option.

Air Pilots, Military --- Air pilots --- Supply and demand --- Supply and demand --- United States. --- United States. --- Appointments and retirements. --- Operational readiness.

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Information routinely available to defense and national leaders about the adequacy of military training is not very helpful in their decisionmaking. The authors describe a framework to improve the characterization of unit training status, focusing on indicators of immediate capabilities and on the time and resources units would need if they were to train up to an established wartime standard as quickly as possible. The framework involves three processes: assessing unit training or performance to ascertain current accomplishments and shortfalls, estimating the time and resources needed to overcome the shortfalls, and confirming/validating some of those estimates. A DoD-wide steering group, consisting of senior military personnel, should oversee the system's development and implementation.

Military education --- United States --- Armed Forces --- Operational readiness.

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The US Air Force is facing unprecedented problems in its efforts to provide adequate training for new and inexperienced pilots in its operational fighter units. This report assesses the Air Force's training dilemma with a view to finding ways to remedy it in both the short and long term.

Fighter pilots --- Training of --- United States. --- Personnel management.

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United States Air Force career field managers (CFMs) annually predict the number of billet vacancies that will require an officer who holds an advanced academic degree (AAD), and submit these requirements to the Air Force Education Requirements Board to fill the projected vacancies. The process requires CFMs to predict specific vacancies three to five years before they occur, which can be difficult and produces inaccuracies that can lead to a shortfall of officers qualified to fill positions that require an AAD or to an oversupply of officers with AADs, which unnecessarily increases Air Force costs. This report examines the Air Force process for producing, allocating, and assigning officers with master's and doctorate degrees. The authors find that a relatively low percentage of officers with master's or doctorate degrees were matched to a billet that requires that degree and academic specialty in fiscal years 2000 through 2010. The authors provide a methodology for determining the required production level of officers who earn AADs, and this report serves as a user's guide for the modeling tools that illustrate the methodology.

Air Forces --- Military & Naval Science --- Law, Politics & Government --- United States. --- United States Air Force Academy. --- Personnel management. --- Officers --- Education (Higher) --- Promotions. --- Air Force Academy (U.S.) --- US Air Force Academy --- U.S. Air Force Academy --- USAFA (United States Air Force Academy) --- United States Air Force Cadet Wing --- AF (Air force) --- Air Force (U.S.) --- U.S.A.F. (Air force) --- United States Air Force --- US Air Force --- USAF (Air force)