US Air Force Faces Shortage of Fighter Jet Mechanics

美国空军面临战斗机机械师短缺

The United States Air Force has a shortage of mechanics to provide support for its fighter airplanes.

美国空军缺少战斗机维护师。

VOA recently reported that the Air Force has 725 fighter pilots less than the 3,500 it is permitted to have. It is training about 135 more fighter pilots this year than in 2014. But it will be a long time before they are ready for action.

美国之音最近报道称，空军允许维持3500名战斗机飞行员，但是目前缺少了725名。今年空军比2014年多培训了135名战斗机飞行员。但是他们距离做好参与行动的准备还有很长一段时间

Pilots must train for years -- at a cost of millions of dollars -- before they have enough experience to fly fighter jets.

在他们有足够的的经验驾驶战斗机的之前，飞行员必须长时间培训，花费数百万美元。

The fighter pilot shortage is happening at a time when private airline companies are adding pilots. Private airlines pay more and their pilots spend less time away from home.

战斗机飞行员短缺之时，私人航空公司增加了飞行员。私人航空公司薪资高、而且他们的飞行员离家时间更短。

Two Air Force generals told VOA that the military is still able to meet the demands for fighter jet support. But they added that unless more pilots choose a career in the Air Force, the service will soon be unable to meet the demands of top commanders. They warn that this could possibly affect both U.S. troops and civilians.

美国空军两位将军对美国之音表示，军方仍然能够满足战斗机支援的要求。但是他们补充说，除非更多飞行员选择空军这项职业，否则战斗机支援服务很快就无法满足高级指挥官的要求。他们警告说，这可能会影响到美国军队和文职人员。

But even if the Air Force can train and keep jet fighter pilots, it must have enough mechanics to maintain the jets. And right now it has a shortage of more than 3,000 of these maintainers.

即使空军能够培训和留住战斗机飞行员，仍然是需要足够的机器去满足战斗机。目前至少有3000多的维护人员的缺口。

Mechanics at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in the state of Virginia have much work to do. They help keep F-22 Raptor jets flying. They also work on the T-38 Talon -- a jet that is about 50 years old and must often be repaired.

弗吉尼亚州的兰利-尤斯蒂斯联合基地的机械师有很多工作要做。他们使F-22“猛禽”战斗机保持飞行。他们也为T-38魔爪工作-一家50多年的经常需要维修的战斗机。

This Air Force fighter pilot says the mechanics work hard.

空军战斗机飞行员说机械师工作很努力。

“Maybe once a day to once every other day we’ll bring back a jet that needs, has some kind of issue that needs to get fixed by our maintenance before it can get launched back up. So even at night when we’re not flying, they’re workin' on the planes and making sure that they’re ready to go for the next day.”

他说，“大概每天或隔一天，我们就要把一架出了某种问题的喷气式飞机送过来，让我们的维修人员修理，然后它才能重新飞上蓝天。所以，即使是晚上我们不飞的时候，他们也在修飞机，好让这些飞机第二天能起飞。”

This senior airman is one of the mechanics.

这位高级飞行员也是其中一名机械师。

“We all understand that the whole ‘(do) more with less’ is, is happening, but I mean it, regardless, jets have to fly. So we’re gonna make it happen, but yeah there's, there’s definitely pain in that process.”

他说：“我们都明白，目前的情况是事情多了人少了，可是不管怎么样，飞机总得飞。所以，我们必须保证它能飞。不过呢，在此过程中肯定会有痛苦。”

Air Force Lieutenant General John Cooper works on ways to train and keep pilots and mechanics.

空军中将约翰·库珀致力于培训和留住飞行员和机械师。

“We were livin', you know, on the edge with our maintainers for a long time, but we were able to accomplish the mission.”

我们的现状，你知道的，我们的工程师长时间的短缺，但是我们能够完成任务。

Now, General Cooper says budget cuts have made his job much harder. But he says the Air Force has begun enlisting and training new fighter jet mechanics. And he says if the budget does not get smaller, the shortage will end in 2021.

目前，中将库珀表示削减预算让他的工作变得异常艰难。但是他表示空军已经开始招募和培训新的战斗机机械师，并且他说，如果预算没有削减，缺口将在2021年补充完整。

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

克里斯托弗 约翰-克鲁斯报道。

The United States Air Force has a shortage of mechanics to provide support for its fighter airplanes.

VOA recently reported that the Air Force has 725 fighter pilots less than the 3,500 it is permitted to have. It is training about 135 more fighter pilots this year than in 2014. But it will be a long time before they are ready for action.

Pilots must train for years -- at a cost of millions of dollars -- before they have enough experience to fly fighter jets.

The fighter pilot shortage is happening at a time when private airline companies are adding pilots. Private airlines pay more and their pilots spend less time away from home.

Two Air Force generals told VOA that the military is still able to meet the demands for fighter jet support. But they added that unless more pilots choose a career in the Air Force, the service will soon be unable to meet the demands of top commanders. They warn that this could possibly affect both U.S. troops and civilians.

But even if the Air Force can train and keep jet fighter pilots, it must have enough mechanics to maintain the jets. And right now it has a shortage of more than 3,000 of these maintainers.

Mechanics at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in the state of Virginia have much work to do. They help keep F-22 Raptor jets flying. They also work on the T-38 Talon -- a jet that is about 50 years old and must often be repaired.

This Air Force fighter pilot says the mechanics work hard.

“Maybe once a day to once every other day we’ll bring back a jet that needs, has some kind of issue that needs to get fixed by our maintenance before it can get launched back up. So even at night when we’re not flying, they’re workin' on the planes and making sure that they’re ready to go for the next day.”

This senior airman is one of the mechanics.

“We all understand that the whole ‘(do) more with less’ is, is happening, but I mean it, regardless, jets have to fly. So we’re gonna make it happen, but yeah there's, there’s definitely pain in that process.”

Air Force Lieutenant General John Cooper works on ways to train and keep pilots and mechanics.

“We were livin', you know, on the edge with our maintainers for a long time, but we were able to accomplish the mission.”

Now, General Cooper says budget cuts have made his job much harder. But he says the Air Force has begun enlisting and training new fighter jet mechanics. And he says if the budget does not get smaller, the shortage will end in 2021.

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

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Words in This Story

mechanic – n. a person who repairs machines (such as engines) and keeps them running properly

maintain – v. to keep (something) in good condition by making repairs, correcting problems, etc.

living on the edge – expression very close to something such as success or failure

accomplish – v. to succeed in doing (something)

mission – n. a specific military or naval task