Air Force Pilots

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Air Force's validation of rated staff requirements for pilots assigned to non-flying staff positions.

GAO found that the Air Force: (1) conducted a June 1988 review to critically examine each rated staff requirement and validate the absolute minimum number of pilots and navigators in staff positions; (2) lacked specific criteria for the review and had a limited amount of time to complete the necessary in-depth review; (3) identified 106 potential position reductions, most of which were anticipated conversions to an operations management career field it established in January 1985 for non-rated officers to handle operations and training functions that rated staff traditionally performed; (4) used forms for documenting non-flying staff positions that did not always clearly describe the required rated expertise or described the work center's, rather than the individual's, responsibilities; and (5) had several administrative procedural weaknesses and inconsistencies in documenting staff requirements which contributed to the possibility of its overstating requirements.