Political Quotes

“Mr. President, my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee are all very much aware of the serious retention problems now faced by DOD, and especially those pertaining to pilots. The Air Force, for example, is losing three pilots for every two pilots it trains. You don't need to have a math degree to understand the implications of that statistic. To quote Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mike Ryan, this is "one of the most serious pilot force challenges in Air Force history." And the Navy's situation is no less daunting. Current law allows aviation officers from O-1s to O-5s with 6 to 13 years of service to receive a bonus of up to $25,000 a year if the officer agrees to complete 14 years; or up to $12,000 per year if the officer agrees to complete 1, 2, or 3 additional years. While existing law was intended to fix retention problems in specific aviation communities such as the F/A-18 community, retention problems are now showing up across the board. This amendment is straightforward.”