Air Force appoints new leader of Aircrew Crisis Task Force

The Air Force announced Friday it has named Brig. Gen. Mike Koscheski to lead its Aircrew Crisis Task Force aimed at helping the service address its pilot shortage.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told reporters during an Aug. 25 briefing that Koscheski will be "coming to work every day focused on retaining and growing pilots in order to address the shortfall."

The service was short 1,555 pilots at the end of 2016, due largely to competition from commercial airlines. Officials have been working closely with airline representatives to both learn from their practices and partner on solutions to meet the increasing pilot demand.

Wilson unveiled additional retention initiatives Friday, including increased inventive pay for officer and enlisted aircrew and expansion of the aviation bonus program. She also announced a new program that would allow retired active-duty pilots to return to the Air Force on 12-month contracts to meet a need for more experienced flight staff. She said the service initially hopes to recruit 25 retired pilots for the program.