Gates says Air Force not doing enough in Iraq war effort

AP ^ | April 21 , 2008 2 hours ago | AP

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks,...guess I caught a later version....which contains this factoid:

Gates, who served in the Air Force in the 1960s as a young officer before he joined the Central Intelligence Agency,

[quadrant]

The great irony of this story is that this is the second Bush Secretary of Defense to have a run-in with one of the services. Remember the stories about how Donald Rumsfield hated the Army? It seems the Navy/Marine Corps are the only two services that can perform up to standard.

[ICE-FLYER]

This Air Force Pilot is not impressed. He is listening to Army folks who have failed in their ISR management and is now balming the USAF on it.

I resent that he pokes the USAF int he eye at Maxwell. Some inspiring leader when you have that happen.

[texson66]

Well, if Gates was an officer in any branch of the military, there once was a good rule to live by:

Praise in Public!

Criticize in Private!

He’s the freakin’ SecDef for crying out loud! He could have come down on the AF CS during a staff meeting and given the AF a whatfor by when.

Using the press, is only going to make it worse. Did Gates ever ask why the AF couldn’t provide assets for recon??? Did he ask how he as the SecDef could expedite their needed actions? There are a lot of things Gates could have asked and done before going public, but remember Gates is a Democrat and its an election year too....

[militant2]

“I would like to see how they stack up to me and the rest of my Ranger buddies...”

At ease, friend....I’ve no desire for a pissing contest. I’m saying I’ve known a few hard-a$$es from that group that I wouldn’t want to face on the wrong side of the fight.

Militant

[Straight Vermonter]

This is not the first time he has called out the AF on this issue. This is reminiscent of the situation in the early 1960s when the AF would not supply sufficient ground support to the army.

[infantrywhooah]

You do realize who those guys do most of their training with don’t you? The US Army.

[Little Ray]

I suspect that, if you gave them something fun to shoot at (bridges, buildings, and infrastructure in general, tanks, ships, or, better yet other aeroplanes), you couldn't keep the pilots way from the theater...

But its gotta be kind of boring, circling for hours, entering in the GPS coordinates of targets and sending little bombs on their way, without ever doing something to get the adrenaline going. Heck, a flying dumptruck could do the job.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Sounds like Gates is escalating big time!

[Straight Vermonter]

Here is the earlier story. Apparently the AF (again just like in the 60s) wants expensive toys that don't further the current war effort.

[VRWCmember]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday the Air Force is not doing enough to help in the Iraq and Afghanistan war effort, complaining that some military leaders are "stuck in old ways of doing business."

Gates said in a speech at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., that getting the Air Force to send more surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Iraq and Afghanistan has been "like pulling teeth."

Doesn't the Secretary of Defense have the authority to do something about it rather than complain that "it's hard to get them to cooperate"?

[strider44]

you’re right, this will be an interesting debate and sensitive to many. I’m a US Army Major (UH-60 Pilot, one 15-month Iraqi tour).

First of all, folks in the Airforce didn’t sign up to be in the infantry, and while we’re at it, neither did folks in the Navy.

It’s not any services fault concerning the type war we’re in. I strongly disagree with making navy and airforce types do army and marine corps missions.

I was stupid enought to join the army. Now I’m paying the price.

However, I think it’s perfectly fine to call airforce and navy types pussies. Just wink while you’re doing it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Oh,...that is interesting....ought to have more of that here:

March 21, 2008

***************************EXCERPT********************

Last fall, the Pentagon's civilian chiefs shot down an Air Force move to take over almost all of the military's big unmanned aircraft.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This has been going on for awhile....from the LA Times:

Pentagon battle breaks out over a spy plane

**************************EXCERPT*******************

Defense Secretary Gates wants more unmanned Predator aircraft in Iraq. But the Air Force worries about the long-term viability of the spy plane program.

By Peter Spiegel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 21, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has ordered the Air Force to put nearly all of its unmanned Predator aircraft into the skies over the Middle East, forcing the service to take steps that officers worry could hobble already-stressed drone squadrons.

Pressure from the Defense secretary in recent months has nearly doubled the number of Predators available to help hunt insurgents and find roadside bombs in Iraq. But it has forced air commanders into a scramble for crews that officers said could hurt morale and harm the long-term viability of the Predator program.
Some officers said pressure from Gates resulted in one plan that could have taken the Air Force down a path similar to the German Luftwaffe, which cut back training in World War II to get more pilots in the air.

"That was the end of their air force," said Col. Chris Chambliss, commander of the Air Force's Predator wing. The Air Force plan, presented to the military leadership in January, eventually was scaled back.

The surge in drone flights is Gates' latest push for short-term measures to win the Iraq war that will have long-term implications for the U.S. military. In recent months, Gates has campaigned to increase the size of the Army and to ship new, heavily armored troop transporters, known as MRAPs, to Iraq.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Left the link out at post # 33...see link at post # 30 to the Article at WIRED Mag website.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

AT the Heart of all of this ,...it really is a battle over Money...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Her you go,...Ruskies having fun:

Russia 'shot down Georgia drone'

A Russian fighter jet has shot down an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, Georgian authorities say.

[death2tyrants]

” but remember Gates is a Democrat “

He used to be the President of the Young Republicans. I’ve never heard that he was ever a Democrat.

[PhillyRepublican]

Just let some MARINE aviators “borrow” a few of the Air Force’s planes.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Gates is seeing some results and likes it...see this FR thread:

UAVs Earning Their Keep In Sadr City Battles, al-Qaeda Still Taking A Beating