Posted on 07/31/2004 11:01:33 AM PDT by demlosers
WASHINGTON The man who was Air Force chief of staff during the first Gulf War is supporting John Kerry for president. Retired General Merrill "Tony" McPeak gave the Democrats' weekly radio address today.
He says he switched his support from President Bush to Kerry on the strength of Kerry's wartime service and experience in Vietnam.
McPeak said it "means an awful lot" to him that Kerry fought for his country as a young man.
And he said for him, the "real deal" isn't whether a strategy is Republican or Democrat -- it's "whether it makes us safer."
McPeak also questioned what he called the president's "grudging cooperation" with the commission investigating the September eleventh attacks.
Was that before or after you supported the Dean candidacy that you switched your support to Kerry?
What's the story on this guy?
What's the story on this guy?
Clinton appointee. Probably Dem forever.
I pat your back and you pat mine.
Another loser ex-general. We really need to examine the system whereby one obtains flag rank. The man is either a liar or a fool.
War-time experience..Ha!
By the way, who wouldn't go back for a guy left in the water? He got a Bronze Star for that?!
Remember when Admiral Crowe came out in support of Clinton after Clinton's draft dodging came to light? He ended up Ambassador to the Court of St. James, the premier posting for diplomats. That's what this guy is probably after.
I opt for both.
I just landed at STL a little while ago. While I walking to the pick up area, I stopped to listen to a CNNairport commentator jawing about the rat convention. I couldnt believe how delusional he was. He kept talking about Kerry's home run hit and now Bush will have to play catch up. They then did a feel good about the hamster. I was the only one watching it, which I guess is a good thing as my jaw was on the floor. I guess CNN gets their news from another planet..
This is the same guy who pushed through a series of USAF uniform changes that no one, other than his bootlickers, wanted...the same guy who made the USAF a laughingstock by eliminating the timed 1.5 mile runs and instituted the "oh-so-effective-at-measuring-fitness" bike test. To this day, there are very few people in the USAF whose mere mention makes people shudder. Most are for smart changes, such as Bill Creech (ever hear about AF bases painted in "Creech brown?"), and Curtis LeMay. Then there's the ones who made changes in order to say they had changed the USAF...like Tony McPeak.
"Former Air Force chief of staff criticizes Bush (McPeak)"
Key word: FORMER
During the first Gulf War, the Air Force kept the politicians like McPeak out of theater, for a very good reason.
Then Generals that were "in theater: during the Gulf War all support this President.
GENERAL MERRILL A. MCPEAK
Retired effective Nov. 1, 1994
General Merrill A. McPeak is chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. As chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of a combined active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian force of over 850,000 people serving at approximately 1,300 locations in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he and the other service chiefs function as military advisers to the secretary of defense, National Security Council and the president.
The general entered the Air Force in 1957 as a distinguished graduate of the San Diego State College ROTC program. He has commanded an Air Force wing, a numbered Air Force and, before becoming Air Force chief of staff, commanded the Pacific Air Forces, a major command. He is a command pilot, having flown more than 6,000 hours, principally in fighter aircraft. He flew two years as a solo pilot for the elite aerial demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, and flew as an attack pilot and high-speed forward air controller in Vietnam.
EDUCATION:
1957 Bachelor of arts degree in economics, San Diego State College
1970 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
1974 Master's degree in international relations, George Washington University
1974 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1979 The Executive Development Program, University of Michigan Graduate School of Business
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. November 1957 - January 1958, student, Officer Preflight Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2. January 1958 - January 1959, student, pilot training, Hondo Air Base, Texas, and Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
3. February 1959 - December 1959, student, F-100 combat crew training, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
4. December 1959 - August 1961, F-104C fighter pilot, 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron, George Air Force Base, Calif.
5. August 1961 - May 1964, F-100D fighter pilot, 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge, England
6. May 1964 - August 1965, fighter staff officer, tactical evaluation division, Headquarters 3rd Air Force, South Ruislip Air Station, England
7. September 1965 - December 1966, F-104G instructor pilot, 4443rd Combat Crew Training Squadron; later, F-104G weapons officer, 4510th Combat Crew Training Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
8. December 1966 - December 1968, demonstration pilot, U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
9. December 1968 - January 1969, F-100D fighter pilot, 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Phu Cat Air Base, Republic of Vietnam
10. January 1969 - August 1969, operations officer, later commander, Operation Commando Sabre (Misty Fast FACs), Phu Cat Air Base, Republic of Vietnam
11. August 1969 - December 1969, chief, standardization and evaluation division, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Tuy Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam
12. January 1970 - July 1970, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
13. August 1970 - August 1973, air operations staff officer, Mideast Division, directorate of plans and policy, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
14. August 1973 - June 1974, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
15. June 1974 - April 1975, assistant deputy commander for operations, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
16. April 1975 - June 1975, student, French language training (en route for duty as air attache to Republic of Cambodia), Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C.
17. July 1975 - June 1976, military fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York City
18. July 1976 - July 1977, commander, 513th Combat Support Group, Royal Air Force Station Mildenhall, England
19. July 1977 - July 1978, vice commander, 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Zaragoza Air Base, Spain
20. July 1978 - February 1980, assistant chief of staff, current operations, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Boerfink, West Germany
21. February 1980 - June 1981, commander, 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Station Upper Heyford, England
22. June 1981 - October 1982, chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
23. October 1982 - May 1985, deputy chief of staff, plans, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
24. May 1985 - June 1987, deputy chief of staff, programs and resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
25. June 1987 - July 1988, commander, 12th Air Force and commander, U.S. Southern Command Air Forces, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas
26. July 1988 - October 1990, commander in chief, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
27. October 1990 - present, chief of staff, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
All of the above. He made fighter pilots infamous.
McPeak was the same idiot who spent about 40% of his time as Chief of Staff of the USAF supervising the re-doing of USAF uniforms. . . micromanager supreme and tactical idiot.
Ah, McPeak...the most dispised former AF Chief of Staff in history.
Before you take that clown too seriously, ask a few career Air Force officers about McPeak. That guy didn't didn't come across a stupid he couldn't find a way to love.
Kerry joined the Navy after college or he would have been drafted.
Bush learned how to fly fighter jets and volunteered for the war but his unit was not called up.
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