Pentagon to Recall 1,400 Retired Pilots and Medics for Pacific Deployment, Starting January 24

The Recall Order

The Defense Department is preparing to involuntarily recall approximately 1,400 retired military pilots and combat medics for rotational assignments in the Indo-Pacific, with the first set of orders scheduled for release on January 24, according to two VA officials familiar with the plan. The recall will be executed under 10 U.S.C. 688, the retired-members recall authority, and will concentrate on service members who left active duty within the past five years, the officials said.

A separate veterans-service-organization representative who was briefed on the outline on January 20 said the action has been under review at the Pentagon since mid-December. The representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the directive is not yet public, said the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion were summoned to a 2 p.m. call on January 20 with officials from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. During the call, attendees were told that formal notifications would begin reaching former service members by mail and encrypted email at 0900 Eastern on January 24, the representative said.

The plan is outlined in a three-page Memorandum for the Record signed by the deputy under secretary for personnel and readiness on January 19, according to one of the VA officials. The document directs the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps to identify recalled personnel from aviation and medical occupational specialties and to report assigned names to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command by January 23, the official said. The memo also authorizes a $47 million reprogramming of operations and maintenance funds to cover travel, per diem, and medical re-certification for the first 90 days, the official said.

Scope and Targets

The recalled cohort is expected to include roughly 800 fixed-wing and rotary pilots, 450 combat medics and physician assistants, and 150 aviation maintenance officers, according to the two VA officials. Most will be drawn from the ranks of captains, majors, and senior enlisted members who separated between 2021 and 2025, they said. The Air Force will provide the largest share, followed by the Navy and Marine Corps, while the Army will contribute medical personnel and helicopter pilots, the officials said.

Initial deployments will rotate through Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, Naval Base Guam, and Camp Humphreys in South Korea, according to a military spouse advocate who was briefed by a senior official at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on January 18. The advocate, whose organization supports families at Pacific bases, said some recalled aviators are expected to embed with Carrier Air Wing Five aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, which is scheduled to depart Yokosuka, Japan, on February 2 for exercises in the Philippine Sea. Combat medics will be attached to the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and to Army medical detachments in South Korea, the advocate said.

The personnel moves come as the Pentagon seeks to backfill shortages created by a surge in Indo-Pacific rotations and by an unexpected attrition spike among flight surgeons and pilots in fiscal year 2025, the VA officials said. The Defense Health Agency reported last November that the Air Force was short 312 pilots and 97 aerospace medicine officers, while the Navy faced a shortfall of 251 pilots and 68 flight surgeons, according to one official. The recall is intended to fill those gaps for 180 days, with options to extend for a second 180-day period, the official said.

Reaction and Next Steps

The veterans-service-organization representative said the January 20 briefing included warnings that the recall could expand to include intelligence analysts and cyber operators if the pilot and medic shortfalls persist beyond March. Officials also cautioned that recalled personnel will be required to pass updated physical and mental health screenings at a VA medical center or military treatment facility before receiving travel orders, the representative said. The representative added that the groups pressed the Pentagon to guarantee that recalled veterans retain their disability ratings and VA health-care appointments during activation.

A military spouse advocate said families were not informed through official channels ahead of the January 18 briefing, prompting concern about housing, school transfers, and dependent care at Andersen Air Force Base and Camp Humphreys. The advocate said the Pentagon plans to hold a second briefing for family readiness groups on January 22 at 1100 Eastern, one day before service members are expected to report to mobilization stations at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, Fort Liberty in North Carolina, and Joint Base San Antonio in Texas.

The White House has not commented publicly, and Pentagon press officials did not respond to detailed questions sent on January 20. A Justice Department official with knowledge of the filing said attorneys are reviewing the legal basis for the recalls to ensure compliance with federal employment protections and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The review is expected to be completed by January 23, the official said.

Stakes and What to Watch

The recall represents the first large-scale use of 10 U.S.C. 688 for operational deployment since the early years of the Iraq War, according to one of the VA officials. Its scale and speed suggest the Pentagon views the Indo-Pacific shortfalls as acute rather than routine, the official said. Analysts will be watching whether Congress receives formal notification under the War Powers Resolution, whether affected unions or veterans groups file legal challenges, and whether the Defense Department expands the recall to the Reserves and National Guard.

Within the next 48 to 72 hours, officials expect the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to sign a public execution order, U.S. Transportation Command to activate chartered flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and the first recalled personnel to begin reporting to mobilization stations. The Alamo Post will continue to track the orders, the legal review, and the response from veterans organizations as the story develops.