Pacific Air Forces pilot training trimmed in effort to offset costs of war

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=28747

Belt-tightening for the war on terror is cutting into flying hours in the Pacific, which could reduce readiness, according to Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Paul Hester.

In the Pacific theater, the Air Force’s flight training program has been cut by $50 million, Hester said Thursday in Washington.

That’s 9 percent less than the original 2005 budget, he said.

“Every command in our Air Force that flies airplanes is taking money out of its flying hour program to help offset” a predicted $3 billion shortfall for the year, Hester said.

Hester said that he is concerned that losing sky time will degrade his pilots’ critical skills, because flying training hours are “core to the training that leads to readiness.”

That Pacific Air Forces Commander, General Paul Hester will retire before the end of the year.

new flight suits under Carter. The suits were so bad they had to sew the holes themselves!

Now, thanks to Bush, we have a huge hole in our air readiness program.

And those ace fighter pilots didn't think it could get worse. Well honey, it has! Suck it up!

NAHHHH. Can't do that. The rich's tax cuts are far more important than the mere lives of little people like airmen and soldiers and such.

FUNGIBLE.

cut so the programs that CAN siphon $$ to them get the lion's share. They don't give one fig about security, preparedness, troop supplies or safety. They only want to put money where it can be stolen most efficiently.

Sorta like Homeland Security. They won't spend the $$ for payroll for boots on the ground, be they border patrol or inspectors for cargo containers. They will pay for hardware. Somebody SELLS that.