GWB's piloting fun....

(Charles Samardza) wrote in message . com...
By the standard your setting down in your first paragraph I guess the
SAC pilots sitting on their wheels around the world weren't serving
either.


When was SAC,MAC or TAC service ever a political appointment?

The funny thing about military outsourcing is it is the only case I
know of where the outsourcing costs more than the in-house employees.
However, having the contractors do the beating and killing of
prisoners does give the US cover.

(CallsignZippo) wrote in message . com...
To bad George did not have the same fun dancing over downtown
Hanoi.Oops I forgot he was having fun defending the US of A from an
air attack from the Mexican Air Force. Well, I guess that's another
yarn for another day.

Well, I don't know about anyone else but I am sure as hell glad all
major combat operations are over in Iraq, I was worried we were going
to get in a real shooting war for a while.

More boots on the ole proverbial ground, hell we don;t need them, we
just have to hire some more private contractors, and the dead enders
and thugs will be gone in no time.

Lastly, after 911 the primary theatre of operations should have been
Afghanistan and the outlaw regions of Pakistan, not Iraq. Bin Laden
and his band of murders never (until recently) had a foothold in Iraq,
but they sure as hell, have one today, not only in Afghanistan but
Iraq as well.

How in the hell, do you invade and occupy the WRONG country.

The funny thing about military outsourcing is it is the only case I know of
where the outsourcing costs more than the in-house employees. However,
having the contractors do the beating and killing of prisoners does give the
US cover.

The pejorative note of this comment aside, we as a nation have never fully
debated the question of the role - if any - that "contractors" should play.

One danger that I see is of our slipping into a "Légion Étrangère" mentality
(That's "Foreign Legion," to all you non-Francophones out there.). The
temptation for reckless adventurism increases when mercenaries - especially
non-US nationals - get paid to absorb the body counts, absolving politicians
of having to answer to the nation for those killed in the line of duty.

In short, do we really want to become like the French?

--
Mike Kanze

"Democratic strategists feel John Kerry's war record means he can beat Bush.
They say when it comes down to it voters will always vote for a war hero
over someone who tried to get out of the war. I'll be sure to mention that
to Bob Dole when I see him."

- Jay Leno


"miso" wrote in message
om...
[rest snipped]

In article ,
(CallsignZippo) wrote:

(Charles Samardza) wrote in message
. com...
By the standard your setting down in your first paragraph I guess the
SAC pilots sitting on their wheels around the world weren't serving
either.


When was SAC,MAC or TAC service ever a political appointment?

Who was appointed ?

--
Harry Andreas
Engineering raconteur

"George Z. Bush" wrote in message
...

"CallsignZippo" wrote in message
om...
To bad George did not have the same fun dancing over downtown
Hanoi.Oops I forgot he was having fun defending the US of A from an
air attack from the Mexican Air Force. Well, I guess that's another
yarn for another day.



How in the hell, do you invade and occupy the WRONG country.

It ain't easy!! (^-^)))

And it ain't the first time, either!

"Mike Kanze" wrote in message
...
The funny thing about military outsourcing is it is the only case I know
of
where the outsourcing costs more than the in-house employees. However,
having the contractors do the beating and killing of prisoners does give
the
US cover.


In short, do we really want to become like the French?

This coming presidential election should give you a pretty clear answer to
that question.

"Mike Kanze" wrote in message

The funny thing about military outsourcing is it is the only case I know
of
where the outsourcing costs more than the in-house employees. However,
having the contractors do the beating and killing of prisoners does give
the
US cover.

The pejorative note of this comment aside, we as a nation have never fully
debated the question of the role - if any - that "contractors" should
play.

The U.S. military has been using contractors since the time of Geo.
Washington. IIRC, his commissariat was all contractors (just not Bechtel).
During the Civil War wagoneers and teamsters were all civilian contractors.
Most of the railroads were civilian run (although the Army did have railroad
battalions of gandy dancers, as well as run full trains). During the Indian
Wars you could add civilian scouts to the wagonmen and teamsters. The
Remount Sevice was peopled mostly by civilians. This seems to change after
the very spotty performance by the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War
so that by the time of WWII you had the Army Air Force owning aircraft
manufacturing plants.

I think the Navy has also made extensive use of contractors at Navy Yards
over history, again with a much larger use of uniformed servicement to
provide support services during WWII. And, to keep this at least somewhat
NavAir oriented, the Navy did run an aircraft factory in Philedelphia for a
long time (and may have run others).

So the role of the contractor has grown and diminished over the years,
depending on circumstances.

One danger that I see is of our slipping into a "Légion Étrangère"
mentality
(That's "Foreign Legion," to all you non-Francophones out there.). The
temptation for reckless adventurism increases when mercenaries -
especially
non-US nationals - get paid to absorb the body counts, absolving
politicians
of having to answer to the nation for those killed in the line of duty.

I think this is a rather broad statement and not supported by the facts.

In short, do we really want to become like the French?

Probably not. But that presumes that we are in any way, shape, or form
headed in that direction. I don't see that happening.

Bill Kambic

Mangalarga Marchador: Uma raça, uma paixão

On 5/6/04 7:56 AM, in article , "nafod40"
wrote:

Aerophotos wrote:
I wonder....did the Hoover keep on plummeting to the glossy blue or did
the "real" qualified Hoover driver wrestle the controls from Dubya who
didnt know left from right and climb from dive?..

I wonder about your wondering. Are you really that big of a left wing
stooge? Flying is so easy even you could do it.

What is a unqualified naval pilot such as Bush doing anyway at the
control of a naval aircraft ...furthermore... he isnt even qualified
on..... that is a question one needs to ask.

Every day thousands of unqualified naval aviators take the controls of
airplanes, and even fly them solo. Go take a trip to Pensacola and watch
them fly over you all day long. It ain't that hard. He's a jet pilot. Do
your research.


They're either "unqualified naval aviators" or STUDENT naval aviators. It's
all schematics.

--Woody

On 5/6/04 8:47 AM, in article ,
"Ed Rasimus" wrote:

On Thu, 06 May 2004 10:32:46 +1000, Aerophotos
wrote:

I wonder....did the Hoover keep on plummeting to the glossy blue or did
the "real" qualified Hoover driver wrestle the controls from Dubya who
didnt know left from right and climb from dive?..

What is a unqualified naval pilot such as Bush doing anyway at the
control of a naval aircraft ...furthermore... he isnt even qualified
on..... that is a question one needs to ask.


Have you overlooked the fact that George W. Bush is a rated USAF
pilot, graduate of USAF undergraduate pilot training and then
qualified in a single-seat, single-engine operational jet?

Setting any AF pilot in the right seat of a modern aircraft and giving
him/her control is no great stretch. Fiddling around and toying with
the IP is the most likely thing a fighter pilot will do, and is even
more likely when you've gone cross-service and the other guy is
quaking in his boots at the responsibility he's been given.

And, your aviation qualification?????


Well put, Ed. Frankly, I'll bet the maneuver did a lot to ease the tension
of that poor O-4 in the left seat. Might've even been the thing that turned
what looked like a sure bolter to that 4-on-the-fly pass.

Man, was I surprised when they trapped!

--Woody

On 5/6/04 11:30 PM, in article ,
"fudog50" wrote:

5 in a piggie....



On 06 May 2004 12:54:45 GMT, (Pechs1) wrote:

warbird- So how many people were in that airplane, anyhow? BRBR

Max of 4....
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer


Oops! You're showing your age, Pechs... Ain't no piggies (US-3's) any more.
Haven't been for YEARS! |:-)

--Woody