The Washington Post is carrying a report that the United States Airforce has diverted funds intended for the “war on terrorism” to build luxury capsules for senior military officers can travel in comfort about the transport planes ferrying regular troops in much less comfort. Typical of these kinds of stories is the finding that changing the colour specification for the leather upholstered recliner chairs from brown to air-force blue added nearly $70,000 to the project cost. And what’s a general to do without a 37“ wide-screen LCD TV (I trust supported by an appropriate DVD system) on those long overseas flights? Apparently the business-class accommodations already provided for officers on the air force’s fleet of passenger transports is not enough.
While the expense, no doubt, is insignificant in the air force’s total budget, the efforts of the members of congress to expose the abuse of spending power for personal self-interest is to be commended When congress approves funds for a project, in this case fighting terrorism at home and abroad, it is not to be used for some other purpose. If the air force wants to argue that senior officers need this kind of luxury to be able to work and arrive well-rested at their destination – while fighting men and women are transported in the back of the plane, uninsulated from the noise and vibrations of flight and slung in net hammocks to safe weight and space – then the generals deserve all the ridicule they may get for their fussing over the colour of the chairs and tables.
One has to laugh at the attempt to explain revisions to documents, to remove the word ”comfort“ from descriptions of the luxury capsules, so as to remove any confusion with the comfort stations, i.e. portable latrines, loaded onto military transports for long flights. Maybe the Post will do a follow-up on what is being done to ensure the brass don’t have to eat standard rations; do they bring their personal chefs along for the ride?
