Congressional Committee Just Voted to Kill the A-10—And Endanger Troops’ Lives

War is Boring ^ | June 13, 2014 | Winslow Wheeler & Pierre Sprey

[C19fan]

On June 10, the House Appropriations Committee made clear the way many on Capitol Hill view national defense. By a raised-hands vote of 13 to 23, the Committee rejected an amendment from Congressman Jack Kingston—a Georgia Republican—to redirect $339 million from operation and maintenance funds, deemed excess, to retain 234 A-10 close air support aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory.

Even though the committee found $1.6 billion to increase the Obama Administration’s budget to buy hardware, it could not find a penny to retain one of the most extraordinarily effective weapons in the U.S. arsenal—and one of the cheapest to operate.

[Redleg Duke]

Before Obama’s Third Term is over, the only plane the USAF will have is AF1.

[Bogey78O]

Well it is the only one HE needs so it’s the only one worth having.

[Silentgypsy]

You have no idea what kind of language I’m using at this point.

[5th MEB]

The Air Force hates anything that ain't sexy and super fast.
If their pilots can't look like Tom Cruise in Top Gun they are not interested.
Close air support of ground operations has never been in their top ten interestes and never will be.
In their opinion if it ain't blue it ain't cool.

[moose07]

I’ll take a guess that it is unprintable.
Right with you on this.

[ducttape45]

They retire these planes at their own peril. As an AF veteran, I know that this is the LAST plane that the enemy wanted to see coming at them over the horizon.

Stupid

Stupid

Stupid

[Amagi]

Billions to hook ever more citizens on welfare addiction but they kill the Warthog.
I thoroughly despise the government.

[RitchieAprile]

Actually I did back in the mid 80s. Took my son to see planes at NAS Moffet and see Blue Angels. His favorite was the EC-135 because it had the most comfortable seats and the coolest displays.

[GBA]

The A-10 is the culmination of all that was known about CAS in a high threat environment and Hagel wants to kill it?

Hello?!? You don't kill something like that. You make it better!

You take all that you've learned since first putting it to work into the next generation, new and improved and even more badass A-10!

And, if the A-10 is too much of a burden for the AF bean counters to live with, then give it to the Army and Marines. Feel the love.

FUCH!