The head of the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command is facing a possible shortage of pilots over the next four years. The battle against ISIS makes that an even bigger problem.
General Dewey Everhart II says he can handle the current shortage, but it's about to get worse.
“(We’re) 315 (pilots) short,” Everhart says. “I'm sitting okay, but I'm telling you, in the next four years, I have 1600, 1600 that in the next four years are eligible to separate.”
The Air Force could force pilots to remain in the service after their 10-year commitment, but Everhart and other generals are meeting next month with the airlines to see if some kind of cooperative agreement can be reached.
“When they serve our nation, or they get tired,” he says, talking about Air Force pilots, “they may start looking for other courses of opportunity for income. I can't compete against the airlines.”