Mattis is hitting the high points. We know that military aviation, to cite one critical example, has hit a dangerously low point. Late last year, about 70% of Marine F-18 aircraft were unfit to fly in combat. Earlier this year, reports from Air Force sources said that about 30% of the entire Air Force fleet of aircraft was in the same sad shape. The Navy is suffering about as badly as the other two services.
The Air Force is about 1,500 pilots short of mission requirements. It lacks the aircraft, fuel, and senior pilots to train new pilots quickly enough. On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order allowing the Air Force to recall to active duty up to 1,000 pilots who had either retired or separated from active duty. Before that order only 25 could be recalled each year. This is going to be hard on those recalled, who may have to leave high-paying civilian jobs, but it’s obviously necessary.
Paying those pilots, and funding their operations, is going to cost a lot of money that — because sequestration spending levels are maintained — will have to be robbed from other operations, maintenance, and training.
https://spectator.org/mattiss-insomnia/