US military, airline officials to discuss pilot shortage

US military officials next month will meet with their counterparts in the airline industry to discuss how the Pentagon and commercial airlines can work together to deal with a nationwide pilot shortage, the head of Air Mobility Command said Wednesday. "We have competing resources," general Carlton Everhart said, referring to the military and the airline industry. "So how do we complement each other instead of competing against each other? And that is one of the objectives of this meeting." The head of Air Mobility Command said he stands to potentially lose 1,600 pilots who are eligible to separate from the service in the next 4 years. The command, which provides airlift and transport services, is among the first place civilian airlines look for potential hires. <br/>