Should acquisition of Air Force C-27J transports fall victim to the budget axe, that would have a “huge impact” on the Army’s CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters, said Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, Army Reserve chief. The C-27s were “designed to take the load off of our CH-47s,” Stultz told the House Armed Service Committee’s tactical air and land forces panel Wednesday. The CH-47s are some of the land service’s “highest op tempo” assets, he said. “We are flying the blades off of those things. And if we don’t get the C-27s to take a load off of there, it is going to have a significant impact on our CH-47 fleet,” he added.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.