In anticipation of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s markup of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) next week, U.S. senators led by Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), will join former Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) at a press conference on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. to support the effort to prevent the premature divestment of the A-10.
Among the close air support experts scheduled to speak at the press conference is Charlie Keebaugh, president of the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Association, which represents approximately 3,300 current and former JTACs – close air support experts who ensure American ground troops receive the precise and effective close air support they need when in close contact with the enemy. Keebaugh served on active duty for 10 years as a JTAC and TACP Instructor, and he saw combat as a JTAC deployed to Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Also expected to speak is Master Sergeant (retired) Tim Stamey – an Air Force combat veteran, Silver Star recipient, and former JTAC. He served in the Air Force for almost 22 years, including 14 years as a JTAC with extensive experience controlling a variety of aircraft in combat – including A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, B-1s, and B-52s. Master Sergeant (retired) Stamey was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. According to his Silver Star citation, in late 2001 and early 2002 in Afghanistan, “Sergeant Stamey provided positive terminal attack control on over eighty sorties of fighters and bombers destroying over seventy-five tanks, mobile anti-aircraft systems, and vehicles, four ammo-dumps, numerous command and control facilities and bunkers, inflicting 2,139 enemy casualties.” Master Sergeant Stamey believes the A-10 is the United States’ best close air support aircraft — one that he credits with saving many American lives. He opposes the Air Force’s decision to prematurely retire the A-10 – a decision he believes would put U.S. troops at increased risk in future conflicts.
At the same time the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) adopted an amendment to the FY 2016 NDAA to preserve the A-10 for one more year, senators in Indiana, Missouri, and Maryland were being promised F-16s for their votes as part of what has become known as Operation Destroy CAS.
“Senators are being asked to trade the lives of our sons and daughters on the front lines for a handful of F-16s and C-130s. They have to decide if they trust the Air Force and if a few dollars is worth the blood of our soldiers,” according to one Capitol Hill insider.
According to a pre-decisional/internal USAF working paper, A-10 Fleet Alternative Re-phase, Divest by FY21, senators are taking a USAF F-16 payoff at the expense of the ground troops and their families within the senators’ states.
Senator Claire McCaskill, (D – MO), with Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the 442nd Fighter Wing is the first to be asked to consider trading the safety of ground troops for the promise of 18 F-16s in FY16.
In 2013, McCaskill said, “Until we have the replacement aircraft we should not retire the ones we are currently relying on.” According to Missourinet, McCaskill said she and her fellow Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, know F-35 isn’t ready for that. They were correct in 2013, and the combat ready status of the F-35 has not changed.
Senator Joe Donnelly, who proudly displays a picture of himself with ground troops on his website, has the 122nd Fighter Wing (FW) stationed at Fort Wayne. Donnelly is being offered 18 F-16s in exchange for the lives of boots on the ground.
In February 2014, Donnelly issued a press release in which he showed his hand early. In the release, Donnelly announced that he sent a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force in response to a preview of the Department of Defense FY 2015 budget. Donnelly acknowledged that the “A-10 has served this country well in providing close air support to our ground forces and special operators, and has played a vital role in our operations in Afghanistan,” but asked only for “a responsible plan to transition the 122nd FW to another air combat mission.”
While the plan to divest the A-10 and award Fort Wayne with F-16s might be considered responsible for Donnelly, others say it is “a shameful act on all fronts.”
In 2013, Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.), in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing asked then Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley, about the A-10. Donley told Coats, “In general there continues to be pressure on Air Force resources and force structure including the Fighter force going forward, we’re likely to favor fighter capabilities that involve multi-role capabilities – and in this regard the A-10 offers more specialized capabilities – and in this case an older capability that that may or may not be with us for an extended period of time. The A-10 provides great air to ground support – they’ve done tremendous work in Iraq and Afghanistan – and in other operations in Close Air Support for Ground Forces, but as we go forward there will be more pressure I think for multi-role capabilities like provided by the Joint Strike Fighter.”
Coats has decided not to run for office again after a fairly distinguished career. Should he be unable to save the A-10 and allow the F-16 swap to occur he will leave behind a legacy marked by blood on the ground.
Maryland’s Martin State will be rewarded with C-130J transport aircraft in exchange for their A-10s. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Vice-Chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, will have little say in the Senate Armed Services Committee mark-up, but both she and fellow Maryland Senator Ben Cardin have been more concerned about the money Maryland’s regional airports bring into the state rather than health of the men and women on the battlefield from Maryland.
So, while the senators in three states are cutting deals, the USAF has their crack PR team writing about the latest use of taxpayer dollars for entertainment. Argon writes of the Tops In Blue troupe: “This year’s TIB team members reported here March 23 for their 60-day training period and quickly began the rigorous 10-12 hour days of physical exercise, dancing, singing and musicianship training to prepare them for the spotlight.”
Rep. Seth Moulton was not prepared for the spotlight on Wednesday when he offered an amendment during the HASC hearing to gut the A-10 program. Moulton lost all credibility when he argued that the USAF would be better off to spend money on “DoD-identified unfunded priorities that protect ground troops,” such as counter-IED technologies and F-16 upgrades, and failed to mention any USAF missions other than the A-10 which could be cut to save costs and lives.
As Lt. Colonel (ret) Tony Carr writes on the popular military website John Q. Public, Moulton said he wanted the “move so it can free up cash for items on the military’s unfunded “want” list. That makes no sense. The services need viable close air support now. What they want is irrelevant unless Moulton and his fellow lawmakers want to expand the budget to fund “nice to haves.” As he more than anyone should know, a grunt in a close firefight doesn’t regard an A-10 as a luxury.”
Now that the spotlight is cast on the senators who are considering cutting deals with the USAF, they will need to craft more credible talking points and attack the USAF luxuries in order to avoid a Moulton-like meltdown.
Arizona State Representative Mark Finchem, who has fought to the save the A-10 on the state level said, “This fight will tell us who owns the government. The people and their representatives, or special interests who care about one thing, money at all costs? It is interesting that none of the deals being cut include a mention of the cost for more body bags for the ground pounders we will lose because the military industrial complex wants to sell a shinny new jet that they know can’t do the job.”
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