General wants to keep more planes, pilots flying

Four-star Gen. Richard Hawley, top officer of the U.S. Air Combat Command, tried to make himself heard over the roar of jet engines on the Nellis Air Force Base tarmac Wednesday morning.

Hawley was speaking on the Air Force's readiness for battle and the growing problem of retaining key personnel, but he could not help glancing over his shoulder at the lines of jet fighters moving down the runway.

"Most people get queasy the first time they ride in one of those," Hawley said, gesturing to the rows of F-16 Aggressors.

Time spent riding and flying in those jets is something that Air Force personnel need more, Hawley said.

"We are ready to react to any given situation but our personnel are having to work twice as hard in some instances to stay ready," Hawley said. "A few years ago the parts budget was underfunded and it is hitting us now.

"With the lack of parts we have more planes down which makes it tough on our pilots to get flying time."

With less parts in stock when a plane breaks down a mechanic may have to cannibalize a part from another plane, install it, then take it off and put it back on its original plane, Hawley said.

"Right there the mechanic is doing twice the normal work in order to get a plane in the air," Hawley said. "A typical squadron has 18 planes in it and it used to be that maybe one or two of those planes would be on the shelf at a given time. Now four or five are out and that makes it tough to fill flight schedules."

The 1999 Air Force budget has allowed for full funding for parts but there is still a six-month to two-year lag time for mechanics to receive those parts.

This lag time and other factors like working conditions and pay are giving the Air Force even more of a headache when it comes to retention, Hawley said. He pointed to the skills of mechanics, computer experts and pilots all being in high demand in the business world.

"A lot of our people are spending time in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in 110 degrees living in tents while their families are forced to fend for themselves," Hawley said. "They compare that with working for an airline and they move on. We have to make sure we treat our personnel well and compensate them for their valuable skills."

The government has taken a step in that direction with Congress increasing a proposed pay raise for Air Force personnel from 3.1 percent to 3.6 percent, he said.

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