Trump Expands Edict, Lures Retired Military Pilots with Cash

U.S. President Donald Trump, on Friday, issued an executive order to remove a legal limit, which will allow the air force to recall additional retired aviation officers to active-duty.

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The limit restricted the call-up of officers to 25 under the Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty program, which reinstated the retired veterans into active duty in critical aviation-related positions.

The Air Force will be offering incentive programs, including "a 100 percent promotion opportunity" program as well as an aviator retention pay bonus worth up to $350,000 over a 10-year term.

Trump’s order was announced after a series of exchanges with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un followed by threats issued to wage war against North Korea. The edict expands the aforementioned emergency declaration which was signed by former U.S. President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks.

As a result, Defense Secretary James Mattis will now be afforded additional powers “to recall retired aviation officers regardless of certain limitations,” the Bush declaration upheld.

“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," Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Gary Ross said in a statement.

In August, the Trump said the United States would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan.

"We cannot repeat the mistake in Afghanistan our leaders made in Iraq," Trump said to a group of soldiers, adding that he will win the 16-year-old war in the region.

"One way or another, these problems will be solved. I am a problem solver. And in the end, we will win," he said.

Brigadier General Mike Koscheski, the Air Force's Aircrew Crisis Task Force director, told CNBC in an interview that, "The Air Force is partnering with industry to look for ways to just increase pilot production overall...because that's going to be in the interest of the country."

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According to U.S. Secretary of Air Force Heather Wilson, at the end of the 2016 fiscal year, the service was short 1,555 pilots, including 1,211 fighter pilots.

“We need to retain our experienced pilots,” Wilson explained in an Aug. 25 release.

The U.S. has a mandatory retirement age of 65.