Abercrombie Champions Dual Tanker Buy

Abercrombie Champions Dual Tanker Buy: Neil A

bercrombie (D-Hawaii), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's panel on air and land forces, has joined the chorus of those influential lawmakers calling for DOD to purchase new tankers from both Boeing and Northrop Grumman instead of taking another stab at a winner-take-all competition that could again become mired in controversy and delays. "I think that a consensus is developing" in the Congress for a dual-buy, Abercrombie told reporters after speaking at a defense industry conference in Washington, DC, March 11, Reuters news wire service reported that same day. Abercrombie joins John Murtha (D-Penn.), head of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee, who has already endorsed a dual buy as the best means of ending the current stalemate between Boeing and Northrop and their supporters in Congress. Thus far, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has opposed the idea, saying it’s a more costly option. But, speaking at the same defense conference yesterday, Murtha said he was working to include billions of dollars in the next war supplemental to jump-start the dual-buy tanker acquisition, Reuters reported yesterday.

3/13/2009

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Appreciative Host
"I know you're here during a difficult time. You're here through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I promise you, we will find turkeys."
—Republic of Lithuania Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, expressing his thanks to airmen of the 493rd Fighter Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, who on Sept. 1, 2010, began a four-month stint with their F-15s in Lithuania to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under NATO's Baltic air policing mission.

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Family Momentum
"In many ways, this was what the Year of the Air Force Family was all about—connecting airmen and their families with the resources they need. I have confidence the Air Force will capitalize on this strong momentum in the years ahead by continuing to improve our family support programs and ensuring people know what resources are available."
—Suzie Schwartz, wife of USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, commenting on the accomplishments of the Year of the Air Force Family initiative that concluded in July, in a statement provided to the Daily Report, Aug. 22, 2010.