Whats ironic to me about this is that, due largely to years in Avionics in the Army, and the other responsibilities it required me to take on, I've had a career in Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering despite being a High School dropout with only a GED when I enlisted, with no degree and NO engineering coursework. Ironic but not really surprising.
I was already an electronics buff and Ham Radio operator when I ran off to the Service at 17, enlisting with a communications MOS, and reenlisting to get into Avionics. When the Army decided fifteen years later (do NOT argue with your warrant officer!) to get mud on my boots again, I ended up doing everything from Platoon Sergeant at a troposcatter detachment, brigade training NCO and being drafted to do the work of a non-staffed engineering section of three NCO's and a Major. The Army, at least, had a way of finding out what you could do – and having you do it.
I'm semi-retired now, but I've noticed that even degreed engineers often don't have a “gut” understanding of what they do, especially when it leaves theory for hands-on. This is an old complaint, of course, but in general we don't teach people to understand; a degreed 1990's new hire with considerable experience in military aerospace at one of my employers couldn’t figure out how to operate test equipment from functional labels on its front panel. This goes considerably past the old saw about a boot with instructions printed on the heel.
They don’t need geeks. They probably don't even need degrees. What the USAF needs is people who have a realistic understanding of technology. It isn’t likely to find enough, as we are playing catchup nationally at the Grade School, Middle and High School level just to get functional literacy; ask anyone what, if gravity makes a dropped ball fall, what makes it come back up? We have more fundamental problems than not enough geeks. Even if geekdom no longer requires biting the heads off live chickens.