Air Force wants to halt continuous patrols

[Suzie]

Air Force wants to halt continuous patrols
Copyright © 2002 AP Online

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By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (February 22, 2002 3:45 p.m. EST) - The Air Force's civilian leader wants to end the post-Sept. 11 flights of continuous fighter jet patrols over U.S. cities and instead have fighters on "strip alert" at airfields, ready to launch in case of emergency.
In an Associated Press interview Friday, Air Force Secretary James Roche said the Air Force is consulting with the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and with the White House's Office of Homeland Security to determine what level of air defense is required in the long run.

The air patrols are tying up about 265 airplanes - mostly fighters, refuelers and radar planes - and about 12,000 airmen, Roche said.

That compares with 14,000 Air Force personnel committed to the war in Afghanistan, he said, making the Air Force the only service with a large-scale commitment to both fronts in the war on terrorism.

Pentagon officials made it known last month that
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[**DONOTDELETE**]

These patrols were stupid to start with. They were just another "feel good" measure to waste billions while making it look like we were doing something. images/icons/frown.gif

No one is attacking us with their air force and if the military had shot down a civilian airliner over downtown NY the results would probably not have been much better than what happened. The airplane would have ended up crashing into either an office building or a residential area and probably killing hundreds if not thousands.

We need to quit wasting money and manpower on things which serve no purpose. images/icons/mad.gif