The Oregonian has published an encomium to retired Air Force Gen. Tony McPeak, a former USAF Chief of Staff, who has opted—against what some would say is conventional wisdom for a military man—to support Barack Obama vice Vietnam War veteran John McCain in the upcoming Presidential race. The article touches on anecdotes from McPeak’s early life and on his days as a Misty FAC (forward air controller) during the Vietnam War. There’s more about McPeak on the campaign trail with the Obama crowd, who he says calls him to make an appearance with “about’ five minutes’ notice” McPeak left the Republican party, but as he describes it: “I was tossed out. I was tossed out by foolishness in Washington.” Of Obama, McPeak says, “He has gut-fighting sidewalk smarts that have allowed him to prevail when people said he couldn’t.”
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.