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Letters

PT, STICKERS AND F-22

I find the posturing, whining and nonsensical blubbering over physical fitness tests, decals and the F-22 a bit tiring.

Regarding PT: Running exercises the body’s cardiovascular system and trains the body to more efficiently move oxygen where it’s needed, improve fat and carbohydrate storage in the muscles and enhance muscle recovery for day-after-day operations.

Aerobic exercise will not enable someone to “pull their own weight” or effectively pull energy reserves for intense situations such as pulling personnel to safety under mortar fire. Anaerobic exercise helps in these situations and is accomplished through weight training or interval training. Everyone should have both components in their exercise routine.

As for base stickers, if a retiree (or active-duty member) needs a sticker to feel pride, there are Web sites offering custom-made stickers. As an active-duty member who has had five (soon to be six) assignments in nine years, I appreciate not having to in-process/out-process the cop shop.

I also enjoy not having to jump through hoops, signing in a borrowed vehicle while on leave or temporary duty so that I can use the gym. Of course, there is also the little problem with the stickers being useless under 100 percent ID checks.

Now for the F-22s: Expanding the Air Force purchases of the F-22 will harm our ability to take on China or Russia in their backyards. But no one seems to be willing to admit that we are not going to do that.

So what good would more F-22s do the Air Force? Given that our sights are aimed at Third World countries and cave-dwelling terrorists, not much.

The F-22 is surely a masterful piece of equipment that will serve us well in defending our air space in complement to our nuclear arsenal. It just seems that we need to move beyond our hegemonic thinking and develop and purchase weapon systems that will benefit us in reality.

Master Sgt. James Aragon

Bellevue, Neb.

LEADERS FAIL TO save F-22

I find it hard to believe that our current Air Force leadership cannot provide the analysis to support F-22 termination and other force cuts.

Have they seen the analysis? Why won’t Gen. Norton Schwartz and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley stand up to Defense Secretary Robert Gates? If Schwartz and Donley will not represent our mission, then we need new leadership.

Additionally, we do not need the next Quadrennial Defense Review. Gates and company took care of that on April 6, with the unveiling of the 2010 budget request and decision to build 187 F-22s.

The Gates decision leaves a dismantled Air Force in favor of irregular land warfare. When will anyone consider the real future of air warfare?

Chief Master Sgt. Edgar L. Braun (ret.)

Graham, Wash.

SAFETY TRUMPS STICKERS

I never would have thought not having a base sticker on your car would cause so much confusion and whining.

We had to remove our vehicle decals for security.

When Air Force bases have airplanes worth $100 million apiece sitting on base, it needs to take every precaution to protect those assets. If that means removing a base decal, so be it.

Retired officers seem to be the ones who want the stickers on their cars. I am sure it is because they get enjoy being saluted every time they go through the gate. They miss the customs and courtesies, but it is time to let them go and think about protecting our base resources.

Master Sgt. Kurt Sunner (ret.)

Fort Dodge, Iowa

The coming UAS REVOLUTION

The unmanned aerial systems tipping point has arrived.

This year, for the first time in its 61-year history, the Air Force will train more UAS pilots than fighter and bomber pilots combined. By 2012, the Air Force will double its UAS fleet and nearly triple its cadre of UAS fliers to more than 1,100, making the size of the UAS pilot community second only to that of the F-16.

That explosive growth will radically alter the composition of the Air Force’s aircraft and aircrew, transforming a complementary UAS force into an indispensable one over the next decade.

The introduction of the Air Force’s next-generation UAS will not eliminate the need for manned aircraft, but it will certainly continue a clear trend — shrinking ranks of airborne pilots. As technology matures beyond first-generation UASs, we can expect a wholesale transfer of missions away from legacy aircraft.

The trick for Air Force leaders will be to manage the transition to a UAS–centric force while preserving its core pilot culture. The goal should be nothing short of producing airmen who are fully integrated joint players capable of transparent, seamless operations with other conventional combat assets across the theater of operations.

Even though Air Force officers will increasingly be separated from airborne cockpits, the importance of airmanship will not diminish. The strength of our service is our ability to bring a unique, 3-D approach to the battlefield. To be clear, technological progress then lessens the need for stick and rudder skills does not jeopardize that value.

Unquestionably, UAS is the future of aviation, and the future of the Air Force and UAS are intimately interconnected. Marginalizing UAS is equivalent to marginalizing the Air Force’s future.

When considering the merits of making the next-generation bomber an “unmanned” platform, we need to table any cultural baggage and just consider whether it would make us more effective as a service.

Lt. Col. Lawrence Spinetta

North Las Vegas, Nev.