Air Force One needs additional crews

[henryclay]

There will be at least one poster here who will say this is just another effort to diss the president, and will add that it is getting old. To which I say, , , , , Get over it because with Obama it doesn't take an expert.

The heavy use being made of Air Force One has created a need for additional crews, and as someone who was once connected with providing crews for high level government people I can report the requirements that crew members have to meet are magnitudes above what it takes to be one of the passengers they provide transportation for. For instance, does anybody know what the crews do when they are not on duty? The Secret Service knows. And that's for all of the crews, all of the time.

It may not be worth mention to some, and I wonder how many posters here could withstand the grind, because the crews have no real privacy. The Secret Service sees to that. It's just an everyday part of the trivia associated with the president's well being.

Mark Knoller of CBS TV says a lot more. Not about the crew requirements, but what the crews are doing. When he talks about Air Force One, please think about the crews that make it possible.

Here is some most of it:

At an Air Force-estimated cost of $181,757 per flight HOUR (not to mention the additional travel costs of Marine One, Secret Service, logistics and local police overtime), that's a lot of frequent flier dollars going into Obama's carbon footprint. $80 Million every time it lands & takes off .

We are privy to some of these numbers thanks to CBS' Mark Knoller, a bearded national treasure trove of presidential stats. According to Knoller's copious notes, during the last year, Obama made 65 domestic trips over 104 days, and six trips to eight countries over 22 days. Not counting six vacation trips over 32 days.

He took 196 helicopter trips, signed 203 pieces of legislation and squeezed in 29 rounds of left-handed golf.

Obama last year gave 491 speeches, remarks or statements. That's more talking than goes on in some entire families, at least from fatherly mouths.

In fact, even including the 24 days of 2010 that we never saw Obama in public, his speaking works out to about one official utterance every 11 waking hours. Aides indicate the "Real Good Talker" believes we need more.

Related: Obama spends nearly half his presidency outside Washington , plans to travel more

Related: Vacationer-in-Chief Spends $1.75 Million to Visit Hawaiian Chums

Obama has spent over $100 million taxpayer dollars flying around in Air Force One, and probably another $100 million on his entourage. Obama is just another tin-pot dictator living lavishly at the expense of his subjects.

grendelreport.posterous.com/air-force-one

And while reading the article you DID keep track of how many time the coin machine clicked off 80 million dollars, didn't you?

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I wonder how much the pilots make?

[billisonboard]

...squeezed in 29 rounds of left-handed golf.

How many rounds of right-handed golf?

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I tried golf twice. The first time, I killed a duck. That was dreadful. The second time, I drove the cart into the pond.

Not really my sport

[henryclay]

Molly, the crews are all regular military personnel who have undergone some of the most strident background checks with continual surveillance imaginable. Their living expenses, away from DC, are paid by the White House, but their pay is the same as anyone else in the military according to the rank they hold. The only benny they get is that of any other flight crew, which includes a flight duty stipend. That stipend is nothing special. Demolition teams and scuba divers get the same stipend. So do some other job classifications that are considered hazardous duty.

That is different than combat pay. Everybody in a combat zone gets a combat stipend, and their pay is tax exempt, except for commissioned officers. They do not get a combat stipend and only a part of their pay is tax exempt. It's just one of the sacrifices we hear about.

Anyone who is really interested can do a google search for "military pay and allowances" and find any number of websites with the information posted.

And, JFWIW, Air Force One and Marine One are manned and ready on a 10 to 15 minute notice 24/7/365, with at least one backup crew. And there used to be an Army One, but I have not heard reference to it in some time, so maybe the honors, (the responsibility, but it really is an honor), have all been absorbed by the Marine Corps.

[Opti]

Henry, perhaps the word you were looking for was stringent or strict instead of strident?

Definition of STRIDENT
: characterized by harsh, insistent, and discordant sound <a strident voice>; also : commanding attention by a loud or obtrusive quality <strident slogans>

[henryclay]

Yeah, Optimist, I guess so. But if you ever have to go through one of those background checks, or find a Secret Service agent, , , or two, , , or three , , , parked next to you on some hill where you were just getting set up to watch some high stakes submarine races you'll understand how strident they can get, too.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Ahh, well, my wonderful DH already gets flight pay ... and I'd rather have him closer to home (some of the time, at least!)

[deziloooooo]

May 29, 2011 20:10:55 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

I wonder how much the pilots make?

I believe full Col Pilot in charge, probably 25 years service ..in that area...
------------------------------------
"Obama is just another tin-pot dictator living lavishly at the expense of his subjects."

Link please
-----------------------------------------------------

"Related: Obama spends nearly half his presidency outside Washington , plans to travel more"

Funny , I kind of like it , having a POTUS whon has so many friends to visit and keep i touch, wanting to be seen by him, especially the shakers and movers of the globe.

Poor George seemed to spend to much time alone on the ranch in Texas..think it affected him but that's just a personal obsrvation so no links available.

"

[Tennesseer]

May 29, 2011 21:48:53 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

Ahh, well, my wonderful DH already gets flight pay ... and I'd rather have him closer to home (some of the time, at least!)

Once your DH leaves the service and maybe pilots commercial airliners? Good money.

[deziloooooo]

May 29, 2011 21:58:27 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

May 29, 2011 21:48:53 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

Ahh, well, my wonderful DH already gets flight pay ... and I'd rather have him closer to home (some of the time, at least!)

Once your DH leaves the service and maybe pilots commercial airliners? Good money.

Not sure they are looking for hot fighter jocks Tenn..just my thought. Now those slow and staid B-52, transport, refueler monsters...

[marshabar1]

May 29, 2011 20:34:58 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

I tried golf twice. The first time, I killed a duck. That was dreadful. The second time, I drove the cart into the pond.

Not really my sport

You're a natural, Molly! ;D

[henryclay]

desi wrote:

"Obama is just another tin-pot dictator living lavishly at the expense of his subjects."

Link please

desi, I believe the author, Mr. Knoller is some sort of presidential tally sheet whiz kid type for CBS. As such I'll take him as BEING the link.

[chiver78]

May 29, 2011 20:15:24 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

...squeezed in 29 rounds of left-handed golf.

How many rounds of right-handed golf?

but bill, answering that question wouldn't help henry spin his point!

[henryclay]

Yeah, bills. See, you ain't got no help here at all. You just been told to get your jollies somewhere else.

Me? I don't even know what left handed golf is. , , , unless it's like some left handed jokes we hear about. But, I didn't know Obama was much of a connoisseur of jokes, either.

[chiver78]

May 29, 2011 22:41:50 GMT -5 henryclay said:

Yeah, bills. See, you ain't got no help here at all. You just been told to get your jollies somewhere else.

Me? I don't even know what left handed golf is. , , , unless it's like some left handed jokes we hear about. But, I didn't know Obama was much of a connoisseur of jokes, either.

if by "bill getting his jollies" you mean "henry not spinning a reply to suit his narrow point" then yeah, I think you're right. past that, how about an honest, straightforward answer? think you're up to it??

[deziloooooo]

May 29, 2011 22:41:50 GMT -5 henryclay said:

Yeah, bills. See, you ain't got no help here at all. You just been told to get your jollies somewhere else.

Me? I don't even know what left handed golf is. , , , unless it's like some left handed jokes we hear about. But, I didn't know Obama was much of a connoisseur of jokes, either.

------------------------------------------------
You didn't?? Sure he is , why he always has these invites by these important friends all over the globe, known as the life of the party....why he is always being invited , has a million of them, poor George, always forgot the punch lines...they stopped inviting him thus all the time on the ranch poorsoul, kind of feel bad about that, people can't remember the punch lines . Real bummer.

[Tennesseer]

Left-handed golf is a golfer who golfs left-handed. Much like a right-handed golfer who just happens to golf right-handed.

President Obama is left-handed.

[billisonboard]

May 29, 2011 22:53:49 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Left-handed golf is a golfer who golfs left-handed. Much like a right-handed golfer who just happens to golf right-handed.

President Obama is left-handed.

Why is it specifically noted that he plays left-handed? Any theories? Why not just state that he played 29 rounds of golf?

[Tennesseer]

Beats me *shrugs shoulders*

Here is the original article by Mark Knoller of CBS. No mention of left-handed golf-just golf:

www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20026885-503544.html

[chiver78]

I'd venture it has to do with the old-fashioned idea that left-handedness is sinister. it follows some religious ideas as well, but conveniently ignores the fact that some well-liked Republican presidents are left-handed, if not ambidextrous. I'd be willing to bet cash that the OP was going more for the sinister line of thinking vs. the actual dexterity of our presidents.

[billisonboard]

May 29, 2011 23:08:38 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Beats me *shrugs shoulders*

Here is the original article by Mark Knoller of CBS. No mention of left-handed golf-just golf:

www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20026885-503544.html

What percentage of the population is Left hand dominant?2 answers
>> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-Handed >> " In 1977, approximately 8 to 15% of the adult population was left-handed. Studies indicate that left-handedness is ...
askville.amazon.com › Science › Animals - Cached - Similar

He's not like us.

Statistics show left-handed people are more likely to be schizophrenic, alcoholic, delinquent, dyslexic, and have Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as mental disabilities.
abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=498707&page=1

Dangerously so.

[henryclay]

Whew, bills. Is any of that stuff catching just by reading about it? I need to know!!!

[billisonboard]

May 29, 2011 23:32:13 GMT -5 henryclay said:

Whew, bills. Is any of that stuff catching just by reading about it? I need to know!!!

None of those are but negative perceptions are catchable by reading propaganda.

[henryclay]

Yeah, I know. I just read some. Makes me wheezy. And I don't even know who wrote it. Something about liberals not being Americans, too.