We guess Air Force officials made their case about getting a few more C-17 airlifters to serve as replacements as the heavily used airlifters wear down, or, it could be that lawmakers just consider the Pentagon-imposed cap of 180 an arbitrary number. Either way, House appropriators sided with House and Senate authorizers by adding money to the 2007 defense bill to purchase more C-17s. (House appropriators added $789 million to replace three C-17s.) The effect, if passed by the House and Senate, would be to extend Boeing’s C-17 line beyond the expected 2008 shutdown date.
Former Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley is back at the Pentagon, taking over a job he previously held before leading the service. Donley on May 5 began serving as the director of administration and management, the job known as the “mayor of the Pentagon,” Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby…