# Why would a colonel be in the backseat of an F-15? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2026, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053 "2026-04-05T23:43:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053/21 "2026-04-06T13:58:49Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > It’s not continuing education. There’s a list of tasks or competencies each position (pilot, weapons officer, RIO, etc.) must demonstrate and each task must be demonstrated within a specified time after the last such demonstration. Ok… But why would a colonel do this in an active combat mission? Presumably they can do this in peacetime so can do it at home on a training flight. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053/22 "2026-04-06T14:02:33Z")
Because it’s their job. Someone has to fly the combat mission, so why not the guy with a lot of experience doing that? It’s like in a civilian job. If you hold one job for your whole life, you probably started at a low pay rate, but over time, you got raises, and at the end of your career, even though you’re still doing the same job, you’re now getting paid much more for it, because you have more experience, and are presumably doing the same job much better than you used to. Well, in the military, the way you give someone a raise for on-the-job experience is by increasing their rank. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053/23 "2026-04-06T14:38:43Z")
Watching CNN now and the host asked the guest who himself is actually a retired fighter pilot and colonel basically the same question that I did. His reply: “It doesn’t surprise me completely. It’s not normal that we have a colonel out flying missions like that but he’s still qualified.” He also mentioned that he occasionally would take a shift from guys that were on alert all the time to give them a break and if a mission came up during that time, he would fly it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053/24 "2026-04-06T15:36:20Z")
At least in my era and AFAIK these days still … Every USAF fighter squadron commander is a Lieutenant Colonel = O-5. As are almost all squadron deputy commanders = “executive officers”. They are _expected_ to fly combat missions just as much as their underlings. For particularly big or important raids, they are expected to _lead_ their troops into battle. Not sit behind a desk. They didn’t spend 15 years honing their skills at a very difficult job to sit out when shit gets real. They aren’t necessarily the most talented or skilled person in their squadron, but their in the top tier. Nobody whose past career is heavy in pilot desk jockey billets gets those jobs. As to “Full bird” Colonels = O-6 … Every wing commander and most deputy wing commanders are O-6s. A “wing” typically consists of 3 squadrons of fighters or 3 or 4 squadrons of mixed aircraft types. Those folks also fly missions, but not with the regularity of the squadron commanders._Some_ of these folks are recognized as has-beens as aviators, but still skilled as commanders with a future. Others are still razor sharp and lead from out front, not from a bunker. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053/25 "2026-04-07T01:06:14Z")
A question for the uninformed non-military type here - what would be the typical rank of a flight crew in a two seater? Or a bomber? I assume they are all commissioned officers from this discussion… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053/26 "2026-04-07T01:34:46Z")
At least in USAF, USMC, & USN, they’re all officers as you surmise. Army is it’s own dog which well ignore since they have neither fighters nor bombers. There are a very few O1 = USAF/USMC 2Lt = Navy Ensign operational crew. Typically folks get promoted to O2 = USAF/USMC 1Lt = Navy LtJG about the time they become fully mission qualified after which you’d expect them to be seen flying ordinary peacetime practice missions or wartime real missions. The rough promotion cycles are 2 years from O1 to O2, 2 years from O2 to O3 = USAF/USMC Captain = Navy Lt, then 6-8 years from O3 to O4 = USAF/USMC Major = Navy Lt. Commander. With the consequence that O3 makes up the bulk of the operating crewmembers. It’s also the case that substantially everyone makes promotion to O2 and then O3, so the headcount of each is basically proportional to the number of years between promotions. At O4 the pyramid begins to shrink and also by then folks begin to have the opportunity to leave the service if they want. So O4 = Major = LtCmdr are fewer than O3, and O5 = LtCol = Cmdr are fewer yet, and O6 = Colonel = Captain are fewer yet again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-colonel-be-in-the-backseat-of-an-f-15/1029053.md?page=1)