All glider pilot (GP) trainees were volunteers. These men volunteered from other branches of the Army. By 1943 most, if not already higher rank, were given rank and pay of Sergeant while in GP flight training. Glider pilot flight training was multi-stage, depending somewhat on previous civilian flying experience. Completion of Advanced glider pilot flight training resulted in MOS 1026 glider pilot rating and award of G wings. Trainees who held higher officer rank were trained and graduated, In-Grade. Most with Sergeant rank graduated with rank of Flight Officer (F/O). A few were graduated as Second Lieutenant (2Lt). Those who graduated higher than 2Lt generally were In-Grade officers. By 1943, after completion of Advanced GP flight training and receipt of wings most GP went to Laurinburg-Maxton for Advanced (Tactical) training with Airborne troops. This is confusing because both flight and tactical training are known and described as Advanced training.

By January 1943 there were approximately 10,000 involved in one stage or another of glider pilot flight training. Over 7,000 were in the beginning phases of Glider Pilot flight training. This number was determined to be greater than necessary so during March 1943 Survey Board of USAAF officers interviewed just over 7,000 of these trainees, basically to determine who would continue in GP flight training and who would go back to whence they volunteered, or select another service. Interviews did not include men who were in advanced glider flight training, those on furlough and those officers training in-grade. Interviews were completed by end of March 1943. Of the 7,000, almost 2,000 were continued in GP flight training with just over 5,000 going elsewhere. 2,200 of these 5,000+ men were sent to Aviation Cadet Training.

There is general thought that this cut-back was a discontinuance of the GP flight training program. This was not true. It was a reduction in number of trainees. Later, it was determined that more GP were needed and the program was again opened to new volunteer glider pilot trainees. Some men who got back into the program later in 1943 had been reassigned during the early 1943 cutback. The last training class for WWII MOS 1026 glider pilots graduated from South Plains Army Air Field, Lubbock, TX the middle of January 1945.