Word: aire
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Since 1975 the Army and Air Force have been allocating increasing resources to conventional weapons and missions. But so widely is it felt that more must be done that the Pentagon plans to spend most of any budget boost it gets on its conventional forces. Initially, says Jones, the extra funds would mostly be used for "new procurement, more supplies, more ammunition and fixing personnel problems...
...General Jones, "In any large operation or full-blown conflict short of a nuclear exchange, lift becomes a very critical factor." He feels that the Pentagon's ability to resupply troops rapidly on the battlefield is "one of the areas in which we run into limitations early." Though the Air Force would have sufficient planes to rush troops overseas, including requisitioned commercial airliners, it would not have enough to take along-their arms and equipment...
...Air Force wants more transport aircraft, but has not yet decided how many. Also needed are additional tankers for airborne refueling of transport and combat planes. In fiscal 1980 the Air Force will be buying four KC-10 tankers, a version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 jetliner, at a total cost of $200 million...
Heading straight for the cockpit is a habit that Jones acquired during his 37 years in the Air Force. But he is no mere hot pilot. Cool, meticulous, low-key and dogged, Jones typifies the new breed of military managers. Explains a senior Pentagon aide: "The era is over of flamboyant combat heroes rising to the top of the military...
Jones does not win every argument, of course. Indeed, he still bears the scars of the fight over the B-l supersonic bomber. Carter canceled that project in June 1977, when ex-Bomber Pilot Jones was Air Force Chief of Staff and the plane's leading advocate. Carter's surprise decision shook the Air Force. Its generals immediately began talking of mounting a campaign in Congress to save the bomber and they looked to Jones to lead the attack. Jones concluded instead that such a campaign would have almost no chance of succeeding. "That was an agonizing decision...