This report documents findings and recommendations from the development and assessment of potential alternative personnel system options that would address the recruiting and retention challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF) air operations community. The authors describe the challenges in recruiting and retaining DAF air operations civilian talent and present legislative and policy options for addressing those challenges.

Civilian Workforce Challenges for the Department of the Air Force Air Operations

Development and Assessment of Alternative Civilian Personnel Systems

Kirsten M. Keller, Kelly Hyde, Ginger Groeber, Maria McCollester, Lewis Schneider, Jennifer A. Heissel, Gabriel W. Hassler, Casey Leek, Jonah Kushner, Stephanie Williamson, et al.

ResearchPublished Mar 20, 2026

Cover: Civilian Workforce Challenges for the Department of the Air Force Air Operations
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The U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF) faces critical challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified civilian personnel in support of air operations, particularly in the mission critical occupations of aircraft operations (pilots) and air traffic controllers. To address similar workforce issues in other specialized career fields, the U.S. Department of War (DOW) and other federal agencies have successfully implemented alternative personnel systems (APSs) and demonstration projects that provide enhanced flexibility in hiring, compensation, and performance management.

This report documents findings and recommendations from the development and assessment of potential APS options that would address the recruiting and retention challenges in the DAF air operations community. The authors describe the challenges in recruiting and retaining DAF air operations civilian talent and present some legislative and policy options for addressing those challenges.

Key Findings

  • The training and experience required for civilian air operations occupations results in a small pool of qualified talent for these positions.
  • Many DAF locations are more remote and less attractive to potential candidates.
  • The hiring process under the General Schedule (GS) system is complex and lengthy, which can result in a loss of candidates.
  • Outdated classification and qualification standards affect pay levels and the pool of available talent.
  • Comparing DAF pay with the DOW sister services, other federal agencies, and nonfederal employers for comparable occupations and employee characteristics suggests that many DAF civilians could expect to earn more at a different employer. In particular, pilots (GS-2181) and transportation specialists (GS-2101) could earn substantially more at nonfederal employers (primarily commercial airlines), while air traffic controllers (GS-2152) and radar, weather systems, and electronics technicians (GS-0856) could earn more at the Federal Aviation Administration.

Recommendations

  • Developing and establishing an APS or demonstration project could help provide increased flexibilities for addressing the recruiting and retention challenges faced by the civilian air operations workforce. The authors outline several options and assess their effectiveness based on several criteria.
  • The DAF air operations community will need to assess the trade-offs of the different options and their ability to address the most-critical workforce needs.
  • In addition to considering APSs and policy options, the DAF should continue to document its need for a new system or additional policy changes, coordinate with DOW to provide a stronger rationale for change, and develop an implementation plan.

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Keller, Kirsten M., Kelly Hyde, Ginger Groeber, Maria McCollester, Lewis Schneider, Jennifer A. Heissel, Gabriel W. Hassler, Casey Leek, Jonah Kushner, Stephanie Williamson, and Alice Nguyen, Civilian Workforce Challenges for the Department of the Air Force Air Operations: Development and Assessment of Alternative Civilian Personnel Systems. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3734-1.html.
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This research was commissioned by John Carbone, director of the Civilian Force Management Directorate, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, and conducted by the Workforce, Development, and Health Program within RAND Project AIR FORCE.

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