Mercenaries just like Roman Empire towards the end...which politicians are linked financially to the contractors?
I was in the Air Force Reserves in 1982. I did my 2 week tour at Fairchild AFB. Flying home to Mather AFB we refueled several A-10s at 42000 feet over Idaho. I got to lay next to the boom operator and watch the refueling. Incredible!!
I retired last year from my civilian job working for a tanker unit. Best and bravest people I ever met. I wonder if those aircrews will now retire or quit and work for this civilian contractor.
And why not?
Let’s inject a little competition into the military complex.
So the big guy can get his 10 % more easily
The A-10 is probably the second best designed military plane after the B-2.
This is a good way to stop losing skilled tanker pilots to the airlines. There is an insane market for pilots. Let them earn airline wages while still doing the job.
Everyone talks about markets and capitalism, until it’s time to pay a soldier for a valuable skillset. Then they start talking about drafts, stop-loss, wave the flag, etc.
Funny how Boeing and Lockheed executives, Congress, etc never accept a military payscale in such times.
Just wondering what happens when the contractor refuses to perform refueling because the CEO gets pressure from an outside entity. I’m old enough to remember that the 6th Fleet left Naples in Oct 1973 with half filled fuel bunkers as the Yom Kippur War was in danger of involving us and the Russians, because Exxon Italy was threatened by the Arab oil boycott if it delivered to the 6th Fleet. Six months later when confronted at a Senate hearing by Sen Proxmire who almost went as far as leveling a treason allegation against his corporation, an ExxonMobil spokesman said the following.
“ Exxon Corporation flies 37 flags. It owes allegiance to none.”
That’s a danger of our armed forces creating a dependence on private businesses for essential operational services.
WHAT???!!!!