The head of Air Combat Command, Gen. Ronald Keys, tells the Newport News Daily Press that ACC is “cash-flowing” its operations because the war in Iraq is costing the command $200 million a month and it has to wait for Congressional approvals of supplementals to pay the bills. And, that’s not all. Keys says he is eyeing a “train wreck” with the coming reductions in personnel. He expects ACC’s share of the overall 40,000 to be around 12,000.
Every year, Congress and the military debate which combat assets should head to the boneyard and which have more life left in them. Lawmakers often opt to keep Air Force systems that bring jobs to their districts, which complicates matters as the service looks to modernize and ditch certain platforms.…