Posted on 05/14/2016 5:08:16 PM PDT by Kaslin
EXCLUSIVE: It was just a few years ago, in March 2011, when a pair of U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers – during a harsh winter storm – took off from their base in South Dakota to fly across the world to launch the air campaign in Libya, only 16 hours after given the order.
Today, many in the Air Force are questioning whether a similar mission could still be accomplished, after years of budget cuts that have taken an undeniable toll. The U.S. Air Force is now short 4,000 airmen to maintain its fleet, short 700 pilots to fly them and short vital spare parts necessary to keep their jets in the air. The shortage is so dire that some have even been forced to scrounge for parts in a remote desert scrapheap known as “The Boneyard.”
“It's not only the personnel that are tired, it's the aircraft that are tired as well,” Master Sgt. Bruce Pfrommer, who has over two decades of experience in the Air Force working on B-1 bombers, told Fox News.
Fox News visited two U.S. Air Force bases – including South Dakota’s Ellsworth Air Force Base located 35 miles from Mount Rushmore, where Pfrommer is stationed – to see the resource problems first-hand, following an investigation into the state of U.S. Marine Corps aviation last month.
Many of the Airmen reported feeing “burnt out” and “exhausted” due to the current pace of operations, and limited resources to support them. During the visit to Ellsworth earlier this week, Fox News was told only about half of the 28th Bomb Wing’s fleet of bombers can fly.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Cancel another 200 and buy 325 new F-15c-2040's.
Congress controls the budget of the military, the spending, the rules of it and similar actions. This at the feet of the GOP.
Just another of the White House Commie destroying our nation....
When I was at Mtn. Home AFB, ID from 1978-81, we would be lucky to have one third of our F-111As mission capable at any one time. At the time, those aircraft were 10 years old.
cloward piven, this is all the a##clowns doing and we allowed it because we are afraid to be called racist, how rediculous
My neighbor is a B-1-B pilot at Ellsworth. He echoes what Herridge says. Morale among the military is really suffering under Obama.
Sorry. Meant Griffin instead of Herridge. But she has the same sentiments.
Please, tell him that we wait with him, like Tigers, in the tall weeds.
>>They are short all those pilots due to diversity level requirements. Not enough people of color and woman making it through flight school. The Air Force hopes with an intense recruiting drive for the remainder of the year they will be able to get those numbers turned around and we will be back in the war fighting business by 2020. //sarcasm off//
Where was the sarcasm? That’s all true. Pilots are officers and most officers come from ROTC and the Academy, and the recruiting push for those is for the rare, but legendary, gay black female. In a pinch, they’ll settle for one of the three, but there is no need for straight, white men in the ObamaNation armed forces.
I miss Ellsworth. Was in the 44th FMMS. We used to stop at Wall Drug before heading to the LCF’s.
The hard truth is that we are trying to fight a global war without the requisite mobilization and prioritization of money. And on top of the Global War on Terror (errr, Overseas Contingency Operations), we have the Chinese, the Russians, and Best Korea all clamoring for attention. Europe is busy importing Islamic insurgents to boot. But we, as a Civilization, won't face up to the reality of the situation and still insist upon acting like we are at peace.
How about we stop wasting money on the F-35?
FNC seems to have some loose lips.
The Air Force has burned billions of dollars on the F-35 to enrich its contractor friends.
Lets start there
Thanks, will do. I’m sure he is reading this. He lurks. A really great guy, good neighbor and friend. He’s gone a lot on missions. We plow the snow from his driveway and help his sweet young wife with their pets. No children yet, but they are hoping.
“The overall cost of developing and purchasing the jets currently is projected at $400 billion, while operating and maintenance costs could boost the overall price tag to nearly $1.5 trillion in the coming years. Lockheed Martin has weathered a vast array of design problems, most recently concerns over software and its computer system’s vulnerability.”
Lockheed will get rich while the military suffers and fools blame the poor and immigrants
USMC as well.
Saw that full report on the news just before the Air Force report.
Sorry state of affairs much like the Jimmy Carter years.
I agree...The F-18 Hornet is a great fighter and the F-22 Raptor is a good all-round warplane....
Obama has to get the money someplace to pay for his Illegals
You know...I am showing my age...Is the F-18 too old????
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