Building a Lethal Workforce Cost Effectively: Helicopter Pilots as a Case Study (Conference Presentation)

This document considers whether and how the military workforce can be used more efficiently. Specifically, it examines inter -Service differences in staffing philosophy to address possible adoption by the other Services of the Army’s approach to its helicopter pilot workforce, where over half of pilots (who are warrant officers) spend the overwhelming majority of their careers flying. Our research finds that such adoption could lead to training costs being reduced by over $100 million per year. Pilot inventories could also be reduced or pilot shortfalls ameliorated.