U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte is speaking out about her concern’s regarding comments made by U.S. Air Force Major General James Post warning officers that praising the A-10 to members of Congress is committing “treason.” Ayotte, a staunch advocate for the A-10 and the troops released a statement today in which she said she was “deeply disturbed by reports.”
According to the Air Force Times, Dustin Walker, a spokesman for Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who wants to keep the A-10 in service, the senator has called on Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James to investigate the reported comments, McCain spokesman Dustin Walker told Air Force Times.
“U.S. law clearly states that ‘No person may restrict a member of the armed forces in communicating with a Member of Congress,’ noted in her statement. “The Constitution defines treason as levying War against the United States or providing aid and comfort to our enemies.”
Ayotte asks, “How could members of the armed forces exercising their lawful right to communicate with Congress be providing aid and comfort to our enemies? If the facts are on the Air Force’s side regarding its efforts to prematurely divest the A-10, what does the Air Force fear?
“The truth is that preventing the premature retirement of the A-10 does not aid our enemies, it perpetuates their worst nightmare,” concluded Ayotte.
After a post on the John Q. Public website, the ADI reached out to USAF officials who did not deny that Post had made the comments. Instead they attempted to downplay the admonition as hyperbole. In response to questions about the General’s statement, an Air Combat Command spokesperson told the ADI:
“The general’s use of hyperbole in his comments during a recent discussion with attendees at a Tactics Review Board at Nellis were intended to communicate a serious point: the Air Force decision on recommended actions/strategic choices for the constrained fiscal environment has been made and the service’s position communicated.”
While subsequent government debate will continue at the highest levels as those recommendations and other options are evaluated, our job as Airmen is to continue to execute our mission and duties–certainly our role as individual military members is not to engage in public debate or advocacy for policy.”
At their core, the general’s comments recognize Air Combat Command’s responsibility to organize, train, and equip the best Combat Air Force in the world while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges. He called on Airmen to support decisions made to that end–first by the Air Force and ultimately, if approved, by our civilian government leadership.”
Sources say that Post’s statements did not appear to be hyperbolic at all. The general stated clearly, and the spokesperson’s statement confirms the conference attendees’ impression; if they speak to members of Congress they are viewed and will be treated as traitors in contravention to 10 U.S. Code § 1034.
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