This situation sucks but the 2 truths are that these pilots will never TX in mass (maybe a lucky 1 or 2) and the 4th gen FTU pipeline is not likely to get better. The usaf doesn't care about retaining talent. Can't make an IP until about the 1/2 way point in the adsc. When most guys bail with their 1 FTU assignment complete, you, as an air force, are in a perpetual state of ipug. Can't survive once your available #'s start decreasing, which happened about 10 years ago. Either they up the bonus to $1M a year or the usaf will die a slow and painful death.