(Air Force Times) Backtalk: Tanker travesty

[unhappycamper]

Tanker travesty
By Robert F. Dorr

The Air Force, which has failed to give airmen the tanker they need, is now considering using a civilian contractor for some aerial refueling duties.

Pushed by Congress, Air Force leaders may hire private companies to fly some refueling missions, apparently in modified versions of old aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-11.

As if to comfort us that this isn’t a stunning departure from the way a combat arm should operate, Air Force leaders assure us that a contractor would refuel aircraft only during training activities and not in combat zones. Moreover, contract refueling would be undertaken on a trial basis, for five years only.

But once Congress and Washington bureaucrats — including some in blue uniforms — get into cahoots, a temporary program can easily become permanent. To a contractor, this proposal is a way to get a foot in the door.

Contractors have been part of the Air Force team for generations. They perform much of our training and maintenance. Contract employees are usually highly skilled veterans, often retired senior noncommissioned officers. For jobs such as operating a simulator at a training base, a contractor offers institutional knowledge at a sensible price. Taxpayers and troops benefit.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/community/opinion/airforce_backtalk_copout_011209/%2e