Posted on 01/18/2009 8:57:44 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Air Force One Pilot Calls It Quits Jan. 17, 2009(CBS) Try to guess how many flights President Bush has flown on Air Force One since taking office.
It’s 1,675 - more than 200 flights in each of the last eight years.
And on nearly all of those flights, Col. Mark Tillman, 51, was at the controls of Air Force One.
But now, he’s got just one mission left for George W. Bush - to fly him home to Texas on Tuesday as the former president. The aircraft will be the familiar 747-400 that routinely serves as Air Force One, but that won’t be its radio call-sign on Tuesday afternoon, since Mr. Bush will be out of office. The flight home is a military courtesy to the former commander-in-chief.
“It’ll end the president’s term in office and it’ll also end my tenure at Air Force One,” said Tillman in a radio interview with CBS News.
After flying Mr. Bush to every state in the country but Vermont, and on 49 foreign trips to 75 countries, many of them more than once, Tillman will be ending his 30-year career in the Air Force.
Bush nominated him for promotion to brigadier general, but the Senate Armed Services Committee never took action on it.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
There’s probably quite a few people in the military who are thinking that now is a good time to get out.
What a cool career
I’d retire too!
I wonder how many pilots will be retiring this month?
I wonder how many Military will be retiring ASAP. There fixed it.
“Tillman will be ending his 30-year career in the Air Force”. Retirement at the end of thirty is what they work for, time to go fishing and living the good life.
“Bush nominated him for promotion to brigadier general, but the Senate Armed Services Committee never took action on it.”
Republicans were in control 2000-2006.
I have a feeling Obama will treat his military aides with as much contempt as Bill and Hillary. Besides in the name of diversity it is time we had a lesbian pilot on Air Force One.
Misleading artice - the pilot of AF One is changed every time a new president takes office.
CBS got it wrong Air Force One is a -200 not a -400.
Hooah.
I went to a year-long Army school with a gal who was a nurse assigned to Air Force One....unfortunately during the Klintonian era.
She was a pretty gal, and amazingly he never attempted to grope her.
She did have some interesting things to say about a few of the folks in that administration.
There’s probably quite a few people in the military who are thinking that now is a good time to get out.
Unfortunately for our Country this may be a true statement.
The worry I have is that the older more experienced in the military will leave while new younger recruits amy be entering for ALL the wrong reasons under an Obama Presidency
When was he nominated?
This Colonel got screwed out of promotion due to BDS?
My son wants to join the army. “Someone has to do it, Mom.”
I keep telling him to PLEASE wait until Obama is gone.
SeeBS.
Bush nominated him for promotion to brigadier general, but the Senate Armed Services Committee never took action on it.
Shame on you Senate Armed Forces Committee.
A 30 year veteran whith that man flight and hours under his belt flying on eof hte most dangerous non combat mission that exists in the world...
Politicians sink lower and lower with each passing day...
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