The Air Force now has the power to recall up to 1,000 retired pilots to address its personnel crisis

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October 22, 2017 6:31 AM

An amended executive order expands the Defense Department's ability to call retired pilots back to duty.

The Air Force's protracted personnel shortage has been called a "quiet crisis."
The service has pursued a number of policy changes to keep pilots in uniform.
The Defense Department now has the authority to recall retired officers.

President Donald Trump amended an executive order on Friday to allow the Defense Department to recall up to 1,000 retired pilots in order to address the Air Force's shortage of qualified fliers.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis reportedly requested the move, and he now has "

The Air Force is currently about 1,500 pilots shy of the 20,300 it is mandated to have. Of those missing, about 1,000 are fighter pilots. Some officials have deemed the shortage a "quiet crisis."

"We anticipate that the Secretary of Defense will delegate the authority to the Secretary of the Air Force to recall up to 1,000 retired pilots for up to three years," Ross said.

Executive order 13223 declared a temporary state of emergency after the September 11 attacks and allowed the president to call up the National Guard, hire and fire officers, and delay retirements. It has been renewed by every president since, including Trump, but under the previous version only 25 retired officers could to be called back to active duty. Trump's amendment expands that authority.

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