[mbynack]

I had the honor of meeting General Jumper when he went through F-15 pilot training just before I retired from the Air Force. He is an exceptionally bright individual with a enviable service record.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 17 oak leaf clusters
Vietnam Service Medal with five service stars
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

He has over 4000 hours of flight time in everything from small cargo planes to the top of the line AF Fighters. He also has 1400 hours of combat time during two tours of Vietnam.

If General Jumper says that bigger rockets aren't a priority for the Air Force, I would believe him. Satellites are nice, but steel on target is what wins wars.

[Kozak]

If General Jumper says that bigger rockets aren't a priority for the Air Force, I would believe him. Satellites are nice, but steel on target is what wins wars.

Oh I agree, check out THOR.

[Salgak]

1. EVERY flag officer has an agenda. Recall the story of Billy Mitchell and the Battleship Admirals. 4 Stars on each shoulder do NOT prevent you from making errors in judgement. . . .

2. You want steel on target ? Ever hear of Project THOR ?
Imagine a 50 pound crowbar, fin-guided, dropped on a target from orbit. You don't NEED explosives. One would do a main battle tank, all by itself. Space-based sensors for guidance, and voila, you've just wiped a ground force with zero friendly casualties. Alas, you've also pretty much eliminated the need for all but cargo, and maybe recon pilots. And RPV fighters are already in prototype... the Pilots' Union, and ESPECIALLY the Fighter Pilots' Union know VERY well that Space and Space-based weaponry will pretty much make them obsolete. . .and worst still make all the remaining pilots "trash-haulers". . .

[texson66]

Well, as dedicated and bright as General Jumper may be, his mission is to protect the careers of the "fighter pilots"!

Everything the AF does now in space is "how can it help the guy in the cockpit" do his mission. It is a perfectly valid approach for the AF, but there are a lot of space missions (manned and unmanned)which go well beyond the arena of the atmosphere and are of great strategic importance and "outside of the box" for fighter jocks!

Right now, the USAF is in the same situation as the US Army was in 1915, "What in the heck are we supposed to do with those flying machines?". Hopefully, the "spaceies" will get their own Billy Mitchell to produce a separate operating service in space.

[King Prout]

Fine: Let him win wars. In the meantime, remove him from any position from which he can block the American conquest of space.