Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday spoke to Guardsmen and Reservists gathered at Selfridge ANGB, Mich., singling out for praise the various units and services represented, including the 127th “Air” Wing, per his printed remarks. He hinted that it was an Air National Guard F-16 that put paid to al Qaeda chieftain Abu Musab al Zarqawi last month, when he mentioned the efforts of the 127th Wing’s F-16s and C-130s. “You’ve placed duty ahead of convenience, and service above self-interest,” Cheney told the 250 plus crowd. (Cheney also pinned a Purple Heart upon Air National Guard Combat Weatherman MSgt. Henry G. Christle Jr.—see the photo caption.)
The United States Air Force is flying less than historic norms and funding for acquisition and readiness is on a path to further hollow out this too small and old force to that is incapable of sustaining an enduring combat air campaign.
