Page 13 - Aerotech News and Review, Jan. 19 2018

PILOT, from 12
“For us as fighter pilots now, Lieu- tenant Colonel Pardo stands as a ster- ling example of exactly what we should aspire to,” said Maj. John Powers, 310th FS weapons officer. “Through- out his career, and especially in com- bat, his ingenuity, his dedication to his comrades, and his dedication to his job and service to this country are things we aspire to every day.”
At Luke, the latest class of F-16 Ba- sic Course student pilots, designated BBG-17, graduated from the 310th FS’s training curriculum Dec. 14, 2017. Par- do spoke to the students at their gradu- ation ceremony.
“What I try to do is to help them real- ize how important they are,” Pardo said. “We’re not just in a big flying club. We have a job to do, and we only get the best people there are to come do it.”
The Air Force is currently facing a severe pilot shortage, more than 2,000 below its optimum requirement. Part of the problem is in retaining pilots after they gain the experience necessary to staff the primary combat ranks of the force.
“What we’re trying to do now in their training is to prepare these fighter pilots to commit to all of the years down the road,” Powers said. “We teach them what it means to be a fighter pilot, teach them the heritage of the fighter pi-
lot culture founded by pilots like Pardo, This wasn’t Pardo’s first B-Course teach them how important it is for us speech, nor was it the first time he’s been
visits to various sections of the 310th, Pardo reminisces about the attention his reputation earns him in a chat after dark with a few pilots in the 310th heritage room.
“There’s just something incredible about stepping outside and having some- one cross a flightline just to shake your hand,” Pardo said. “It has an unusual ef- fect on me every time it happens.”
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January 19, 2018
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to carry and pass on that torch, and in- still the culture and that internal desire to win. I think that is what will carry them through 10, 20, 30 or 40 years as a fighter pilot.”
The Air Force hopes that retention ef- forts, expanded training, and improve- ments to the quality of life for Airmen will reduce the shortage.
“After World War II ended, still 10 percent of the men and women of the United States were serving in the armed forces,” Pardo said. “Today, that number is eight tenths of one percent. We’ve had some really great advances in technol- ogy and aircraft, but the shortage is re- ally putting a workload on every person we have flying these aircraft.”
Pardo’s hope is to inspire the pilots of BBG-17 to understand their role in maintaining the national air defense standard. He recounted his tale and other Air Force experiences he lived through, both good and bad, to reflect the idea that their careers would follow in the same footsteps.
“There’s something in you that says, ‘Hey, I want to be a fighter pilot,’ and then you go through whatever it takes to achieve that goal,” Pardo said. “Those graduates looked to me like eager young people ready to go do the job.”
in the spotlight for his legacy. Still, after a long day of shaking hands, posing for photos, and motivating Airmen through
Lt. Col. Matthew Gaetke, 310th Fighter Squadron commander, and retired Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Bob Pardo, watch as an F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Dec. 12, 2017. Pardo visited Luke to speak at the graduation of the latest 310th FS F-16 Basic Course class.
Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Ridge Shan