The activations came in December. The moves were documented in an Air Force public affairs release:
12/5/2011 - JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- The 89th Airlift Wing activated the 305th and 306th Expeditionary Airlift Squadrons here, Dec. 1. The squadrons will play an integral role supporting presidential airlift in the coming months.
"This mission provides dedicated assets to our highest priority airlift - presidential support. Air Mobility Command accomplishes this during election years by standing up two squadrons, C-17s based here at Andrews, and C-130s based in Wilmington, Del.," said Col Allan Hess, 89th Operations Group commander.
Aircraft and personnel are prepositioned to support an expected surge in airlift so the Air Force is postured to more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the commander in chief while remaining good stewards of taxpayer funds.Am I reading this right? Looks to me like the Air Force openly admits to being a political tool of the president, putting extra assets in place to serve his election year campaign surge. Is this really good stewardship of DOD funding?
Putting two whole Air Force squadrons on standby to serve the whims of a president running for reelection puts an entirely new spin on the popular World War II phrase Victory Through Air Power.
Updated 1:13pm EDT 3/18/2012
Another example of the wasteful spending by this President. He recently sent a couple of Air Force Fighter jets with his daughter and a crew of her girlfriends on a boondoggle Easter vacatiion to Mexico's Fremch Rivera. Recession, what recession?? Nothing too good for the "King" and his family.
ReplyDeleteYou're not the only one who's noted the excess.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2012/04/23/
I wonder if this has been done for other incumbent presidents?
ReplyDeleteHe is like a person on skid roe winning the lotery. Live like a king until the moneys all gone.
ReplyDelete