The US Air Force Just Hit Its 1,500-Pilot Goal, But The Real Shortage Will Take 20 Years To Fix

The US Air Force will graduate about 1,555 new pilots in 2026, finally clearing an annual target of 1,500 that had eluded the service for years. Even as the USAF has won its first battle in the campaign against staff shortages, it is far from achieving victory. Lieutenant General Clark Quinn, commander of Air Education and Training Command, personally confirmed a true recovery is 15 to 20 years away.