USAF Counter-Terror Funds Buy "Comfort Capsules" 429
An anonymous reader writes "The Washington Post reports, 'The Air Force's top leadership sought for three years to spend counterterrorism funds on "comfort capsules" to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world ... Air Force documents spell out how each of the capsules is to be "aesthetically pleasing and furnished to reflect the rank of the senior leaders using the capsule," with beds, a couch, a table, a 37-inch flat-screen monitor with stereo speakers, and a full-length mirror.' Congress told the USAF twice that they could not spend the money on this frivolous project, but they did it anyway."
RTFA mate? (Score:5, Informative)
Production of the first capsule -- consisting of two sealed rooms that can fit into the fuselage of a large military aircraft -- has already begun.
Air Force documents spell out how each of the capsules is to be "aesthetically pleasing and furnished to reflect the rank of the senior leaders using the capsule," with beds, a couch, a table, a 37-inch flat-screen monitor with stereo speakers, and a full-length mirror.
As a previous member of the Air Force... (Score:5, Informative)
...doesn't surprise me at all
Re:huh? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:huh? (Score:5, Informative)
It's just a unit loaded onto the plane. Former SecDef Rumsfeld had what was called the "Silver Bullet." It was a small oblong silver trailer type unit that was secured on top of pallets then loaded into the aircraft just like any other pallet train. Inside he had a desk, couch, TV (with sat) and a bed. Funny note, he takes his pants off while he's in there during flight. We, the flight crew, didn't get anything like that.
Re:As a previous member of the Air Force... (Score:4, Informative)
Nor does it surprise me that Congress told them they couldn't to it, yet Congresscritters have NO problem spending tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on expensive travel and live quite ostentatiously while doing so. Case in point: Barack Obama's 'fact finding tour', funded by taxpayers. It's just a campaign trip and the costs for security and the nice living he and his three press secretaries (Couric, Williams, and Gibson) will enjoy while along for the ride will all be paid by people like you and me.
Re:USAF... (Score:2, Informative)
Weird. All the main Army posts I've been to have a golf course. I'm sure Navy and Marine bases are the same. Even the Army camp near the JSA on the Korean DMZ has a golf course.
Re:huh? (Score:3, Informative)
Promotion? How about a kick ass demotion to corporal (or the equivalent) followed by a dishonerable discharge?
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding is that officers receive a commission directly (well, in theory) from the President and couldn't be demoted to the enlisted ranks. They could have that commission revoked by POTUS but I'm not sure that Congress could do it -- though they could hold-up/refuse promotions over this as somebody already pointed out.
Re:huh? (Score:3, Informative)
The Only Reason Congress... (Score:5, Informative)
The Psychology of Generals (Score:5, Informative)
Generals and admirals are a peculiar breed, but USAF generals in particular seem to be afflicted with a sense of entitlement. It mostly appears to affect those officers typically derided as "careerists", whose personalities and actions are focused on their own advancement above all else, and once they reach general rank, they grab with both hands at the privileges denied more junior officers. That's when some of them begin to display genuinely eccentric behavior, as well as cultivating the attitude that no mere civilian can tell them what to do.
I highly recommend that everyone here read "Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War", Robert Coram's superbly-written and excellent biography of Col. John Boyd [wikipedia.org], the maverick officer whose theories reshaped the U.S. military's warfighting strategy. Boyd was one of the great original thinkers of the 20th Century. His Energy-Maneuverability Theory of aerial combat is the foundation on which all modern fighter jets were designed, and he has been called the father of the F-15, the F-16, and the F/A-18. He was also the creator of the OODA Loop [wikipedia.org], a decision-making tool with great utility to any organization, and is largely credited with devising the strategy that liberated Kuwait during the first Gulf War.
The most interesting parts of the book to me, were those that dealt with Boyd's stints at the Pentagon, and the eye-opening look at the inner workings of the military bureaucracy. The comparisons of a general's staff to the "court of a pasha" are quite humorous, as well as the details of some of the eccentricities and personal foibles of some of the Air Force's (unnamed) senior officers of the time.
- There was the general who decided that he didn't like the fact that all the stop signs at his command seemed "incomplete", so he ordered that the backs of all of them be painted brown;
- For some reason, another couldn't abide facial hair, so none of his subordinates were allowed to grow a mustache (he couldn't legally enforce this requirement, but his authority was never challenged);
- Then there's the one who would wear different uniform headgear throughout the day, and required his staff to follow suit for the sake of uniformity. His staff were never notified beforehand when he was going to change his hat, so they were all forced to bring to work all their headgear so they could change them at a moment's notice.
- This is the one that killed me, and in my opinion this man had mental problems. This general was so determined to control who saw him that whenever he left his office, he'd press a button that flashed a red light in the outer office. This was the signal for the entire staff, including those walking the corridors around his command suite, to vacate the area and find themselves behind closed doors immediately. That way, when the great man emerged, he was met with absolutely empty offices and corridors and no plebes around to sully his presence with their eyes.
I served in the Army, and even the greenest recruit could immediately spot the difference between the careerist officers, and those who put their responsibilities above all else. These were the men, including generals I've met, who bunked with their troops in the woods during wargames, stood in the chow lines and used the communal showers, along with everyone else. The careerists were those who segregated themselves from the enlisted men and more junior officers, and seemed more concerned with enjoying the perks that their positions allowed them. Three guesses which ones the troops would follow to hell. If the mindset and culture pervading the upper echelons of the Air Force is that of the careerist, it should come as no surprise that something as minor as "comfort capsules" was authorized in direct defiance of civilian oversight.
Re:Write your congrescoundrel. (Score:2, Informative)
It's not only a waste of money, it's horrible leadership. ... Some pig high ranking General lavising in luxury while ordering people to risk their lives and live in cramped air carrier quarters is fucking disgusting.
CEO's regularly do this when their company is in a bad spell. They fly around all cushy while laying off rank-and-file. And they have a golden parachute even if they half the company.
Re:How? (Score:4, Informative)
Coming up on the end of my 7th year in the Navy, and I can't recall any instances of religious discrimination. I'm an agnostic myself, and in my experience people just "do" (ie, complain about) their jobs regardless of their affiliation with Atheism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, Wicca, etc...
Personally, I found the evidence presented in that article to be fairly weak. When asked to sit somewhere else at Thanksgiving, was it because he was being obnoxious about his belief rather than just sitting there silently while other people did their thing? How is being asked if he believed in Jesus after a near death experience evidence of discrimination?
I've had hours and hours of training in religious tolerance and whatnot, I can't imagine that the Army is much different. But this is America, so if people want to make fun of his atheism, he's more than welcome to make fun of their prostrations to FSM so long as it does not affect anyone's job, evidence of which I did not see in that article.
why don't (Score:3, Informative)
When the plane reaches flight altitude, open up the back and let the capsule slide out.
Re:The Only Reason Congress... (Score:3, Informative)
It always bugs me how the military treats the 'senior military officials' better than the soldiers even though the soldiers are the ones putting their lives on the line.
I suspect that, somewhere out there, there's a quote by one of the guys that helped write the U.S. Constitution warning that this sort of thing is one of the dangers of having a standing military in peacetime.
What makes it worse is all these 'support our troops' and 'spend money on the military' types don't even realize that the troops are getting shit on.
Hell, I was there and saw that stuff in person, and I still forget to add a prohibition against it when I espouse the opinion that the military should have the resources it needs to do its job.
Re:huh? (Score:3, Informative)
When I was in the army (early 80's) we flew on an air force C-130 from Frankfurt to Crete. The 'seats' were just web straps. The 'facilities' was a small, rectangular urinal
C-130's haven't changed at all, of course. They're still the 1950's cracker boxes they've always been. I flew 14 hours on a C-141 to Saudi back in 1990 for Desert Storm. Sling seats, sitting with your knees interlocked with the person across from you... nightmare [att.net]. In 2001 I got to make almost the same flight on a C-17... quite a difference [wikimedia.org]. You can walk down the center! It has a real aircraft lavatory! The seats... well, the seats are still sling seats, but they're much better designed with a more sophisticated frame. Less like a cargo net and more like a beach chair.
Re:Actually, this really could be legitimate... (Score:3, Informative)
So, what makes more sense: Spending millions of dollars on aircraft for moving around top military personnel, or spending tens or hundreds of thousands on some pods that can convert any standard-issue cargo plane into a flying office?
Except that if you RTFA, these things cost more than a million dollars each ($7.6M for 7, assuming no further overruns). They spent $68,240 just to change the leather seat upholstery from brown to blue.
Re:Actually, this really could be legitimate... (Score:3, Informative)
Resolution maxes out, but a bigger display allows you to use max resolution without everything being tiny. (I had to move from a 15 inch to a 19 inh display myself, so that I could actually see at a higher resolution).
That said, the problem doesn't really seem to be what they are buying, as much as where the money is coming from.
Re:It's not about tough. (Score:2, Informative)
In a letter of complaint sent yesterday to Gates, POGO asserted that the new capsules will provide no special communications or work capabilities beyond those already available for top officials on Air Force transport aircraft.
The idea behind the capsules has nothing to do with their productivity, it has everything to do with their comfort. I didn't read about one thing in that article that would help them work better or faster.
This is a ridiculous use of funds.
Re:Actually, this really could be legitimate... (Score:3, Informative)
And there is an entire FLEET of VIP jets, from biz-jets up to 747-class birds for them to use.
Converting a CONEX container to a flying office, with a couple of bunks and a worktable, that's reasonable. Even comm hookups make sense.
But there's a massive difference between a comfortable work environment you can roll into the cargo bay of an airlifter, and this boondoggle. . read the details: 68K for change of table wood and seat leather color ?? That's a complete and utter waste of taxpayer money. .
Re:Actually, this really could be legitimate... (Score:4, Informative)
Wrong. Troops fly military charter (airlines like World Airlines, ATA, etc....flying B747/767/etc.) to Kuwait, and then C-130 or C-17 from Kuwait to Iraq.
It is illegal for US troops to fly on foreign-flagged aircraft (DOD policy). It is also illegal for US-flagged commercial/charter operators to fly into Iraq (FAA policy)).
I've personally flown on just about every kind of aircraft in and out of Iraq/etc., including non-US flagged crappy old Russian charters, commercial non-US airlines, and all manner of military aircraft.
It's true that charter is about cost savings OUTSIDE Iraqi airspace. It's also about limited tactical aircraft asset availability, and keeping them for cargo and other critical missions.
(military cargo ALSO/often flies in on Russian aircraft, operated by charter carriers; it's just PAX and special cargo (munitions, sensitive items, bodies, etc.) which have to fly on US flagged aircraft)
Re:The Only Reason Congress... (Score:3, Informative)
Don't forget the ear plugs and the cold. Yeah, I've been there.
The worst ride was a C-141 with four rows of web seating and having my knees interlocked with the Marine on either side....for 6 damned hours.
Then there was the ride back form Iraq to Kuwait in a C-130 after the end of the war in 2003 (at least the formal war); the pilot was hooking and jinking to avoid potential ground threats while Marines around me puked into their kevlar. I would rather sit in human feces than accept another ride from my "brothers in blue" again.
Re:As a previous member of the Air Force... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:huh? (Score:3, Informative)
Yeah, every military promotion above a certain level has to be ratified.
That is everybody at or above the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and Ensign (O-1).
Most of these are read off at the end of each daily congressional session and ratified without even a voice vote (the Senate chair says something like "are there any objections?" and then considers the appointment to be ratified), and there are some noted exceptions for things like battlefield promotions, but every military officer does get "confirmed" by the Senate. This also includes postmasters of rural post offices and forest rangers, so it isn't necessarily unique to the military even. Enlisted ranks don't get confirmed in Congress, which is where the process is different.
Heaven help you if you already got enemies in Congress when you are commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, as that will pretty much sink your career before you get started.
Generals and Admirals generally get quite a bit more attention due to their rank and authority, and often even have to go through a more lengthy confirmation process. There is also a set limit established by Congress for how many general and flag officers are permitted for each branch, and they must be assigned to specific postings or billets in order to maintain that rank.
Re:Actually, this really could be legitimate... (Score:3, Informative)
I imagine your assessment is at least mostly correct. I suspect that there was extra funds dumped into the luxury part that shouldn't have been. And then also that whole being told no you can't use that money for it.
Re:Actually, this really could be legitimate... (Score:3, Informative)
Unfortunately, and I've seen this so many times even in private industry it makes me want to scream, those who order these kind of changes often don't realize the expense that goes into them.
In an ideal world such accounting issues would be brought forward, but often logic seems to fall apart on some of the most stupid of issues.
I don't think that this ought to result in a court martial or other such nonsense for the officers involved, but it is an unfortunate waste. I've seen worse waste of government spending even on a municipal level, so when I see something like this on a federal level I think: "Wow, somebody is paying attention here!" instead of "isn't this a shame!"
For a federal project, this is small potatoes and essentially something to ignore for the most part. If you want to stop wasteful federal spending, there are many much bigger fish to fry than a few Air Force generals trying to make their life more comfortable when commanding their officers.
Re:The Only Reason Congress... (Score:5, Informative)
You post really well for someone who died.
Look, when I first went in Carter was President and we had crap for equipment. I was part of a new doctrine and provided what was call Air Base Ground Defense. This was the USAF way of taking care of the "other side of the perimeter", an Air Force infantry, if you will. My M16 was Vietnam era, and may have actually been in the thick of it. My flack vest was from the same era, and when I was issued my gas mask, I was told there were no filters available. I had an old steel pot helmet and all the vehicles we were driving started with a "72-" number or lower (BTW, International made one Hell of a pick up that would take all kinds of abuse.
Reagan came into office, despite my voting for John Anderson, and we got tons of money. I was issued a new M16, newer but still era flack vest, and my gas mask was new, and we had tons of filters. If I needed or desired training, my orders were cut and funded before I could finish asking my Flight Chief. As a result of the increased recruiting, I ended up at the Basic Training School pushing troops through.
I cross trained into aircraft maintenance, first as a gun specialist on the A-10, then into Avionics. After the Gulf War, I ended up on the transports and took over my own aircraft.
George Bush started to cut funding and closed bases. It started to get difficult to feel confident about sending the aircraft out. When Clinton came into power, it became damn near impossible to get spare parts and I was beginning to have my doubts about signing off the red X's.
I got out under Clinton because it was no longer a functioning military that I was part of. Between him and his congresses, including the Republicrats, the USAF had been gutted. The pointy end of the spear we worked so hard to maintain had become an unreliable dried brittle poking device.
We had a few politician Generals and Admirals out there, but the true problem were the plain politicians.