In late 2016, the Air Force realized it was facing a shortage of about 700 fighter pilots. The service, to its credit, pushed ahead with several initiatives to avert the looming crisis. The result: The Air Force is now short about 1,200 fighter pilots. It's not that the Air Force's steps weren't improvements. It's that they were too small. With commercial airlines poaching the military ranks to replace a giant cohort of their own pilots now reaching mandatory retirement age, the Air Force's predicament is likely to get worse. Read More