I agree with Raimius, right now they can't get students through UPT fast enough to replace the pilots leaving. Airlines now are hiring at a faster pace than the AF can replace them. It is the highest level for airlines that have occurred in the last 15 years.
~ I don't recall the exact number, but I think raimius or Stealth knows, but I believe the overall acceptance rate for the 6 figure bonus offered to pilots was around 55%. Fighter pilots are offered 225 or 250K to stay until 19. Heavies are offered 125 K to stay until 14, and another 125 to stay at the 14 yr marker.
~~ My numbers maybe off a little regarding when they are offered it, but you get the gist. It is a lot of money and not enough takers.
~ The same is true for RPA pilots, but their bonus is much lower. Yet, still more leaving than they can produce.
Allowing enlisted would stem the flow without impacting the amount offered to any commissioning source (AFA/AFROTC or OCS).
To illustrate how clogged the UPT pipeline is currently, many wait 9 -12 months to start UPT. Simulators at airframe schools are running 24 hours a day 6 1/2 days a week. They are trying to get them through as fast as they can to ease the undermanning, but there are not enough hours in the day to keep up to the pace they need to get back to proper manning levels.
The real problem I see is RPA training is also running at 100% capacity and to stem their undermanning issues they are pulling another @100 out of UPT, plus heavy pilots.... and still the AF has stated that they will be in the hole @15 pilots per year, based on current numbers. Unless they address the schoolhouses and open up another unit, than they are just still digging deeper into the hole from a replacement issue.