It turns out the “improvement” Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, made in scheduling testimony earlier in the budget cycle for veteran service organizations was not such a good turn. (DR, 11/10/05) Vet groups denounced the move, claiming that Buyer’s plan deprives them of the opportunity to study the President’s budget submission—normally made in February—before presenting their views. According to The Hill, VSOs believe Buyer wants to avoid the PR calamity of veterans groups taking shots at the White House budget proposal.
Just days after Air Mobility Command cleared the KC-46 to start refueling Air Force F-15s and F-16s, a tanker from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing completed the Pegasus’ first Tanker Airlift Control Center-tasked F-16 Coronet, flying from Naval Station Rota, Spain, across the Atlantic.