The US Air Force is short more than one-quarter of the fighter pilots it needs, according to a...

There has been interest and pressure to bring back the Warrant Officer program but the powers that be (Fighter Jock community, IMO) are afraid that WO (thus enlisted folks) can do the job just as well. This shortage MAY be what it takes to crack the code on getting the WO program accepted finally.

USMC venture was primarily in Combat Arms, and I agree on the impact, but USAF is different. There may even be enlisted folks with pilot's license already. A simple query at HQ could find out. Obligated service after Flight School should help with the second objection. Screening should determine ability to survive FS, and a prep school like NAPS etc for those lagging. Pass or fail throughout, with return to MOS for failures. In the early days of aviation the services used enlisted pilots. Army has high school to fly school. These would be already trained USAF unlike the Army WO's from the street, if they still have that program. Change is never easy, but it's worth a try. Just an option rather than wringing hands or throwing bonus $ at it.

TSgt David L. - WO's are not enlisted. WO1 are commissioned by their service Secretary, so that's arguable. CWOs are commissioned by the POTUS, same as any other officer. You guys haven't had any for years, so I see how that might be confusing. Maybe you meant "prior-enlisted". In the option I listed, anyone that completes training would be a commissioned officer, have obligated service, and return to their MOS if they fail in the pipeline. If the jocks want to look down on them for being "prior-enlisted" that's up to them. All branches have had many very successful senior officers that started out as enlisted. That would make the jocks a very special breed of snobs.

CWO3 (Join to see) - I know they aren't enlisted. Just because we don't have them doesn't mean I don't understand the rank structure. My point gives us a path to flying, thus my "thus enlisted folks" comment. There are a lot of guys that would like the opportunity to fly but won't do the commissioning route.

I know a lot of enlisted guys that fly their own, or Aero Club planes. I also have met many people who join the Army specific to go Warrant and fly choppers. They wanted to fly fighters but as discussed, the AF still won't re-load the WO program. The AF has no problems letting them launch ordnance from drones, but not flying the drones. Explain that one?