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When President Obama spoke to troops at Alaska's Elmendorf Air Force Base last month, the unit there parked a shiny new F-22 fighter plane in the hangar. But according to multiple sources, White House aides demanded the plane be changed to an older F-15 fighter because they didn't want Obama speaking in front of the F-22, a controversial program he fought hard to end.
"White House aides actually made them remove the F-22-said they would not allow POTUS to be pictured with the F-22 in any way, shape, or form," one source close to the unit relayed.
Stephen Lee, a public affairs officer at Elmendorf, confirmed to The Cable that the F-22 was parked in the hanger and then was replaced by an F-15 at the White House's behest.
The airmen there took offense to the Obama aides' demand, sources told The Cable, seeing it as a slight to the folks who are operating the F-22 proudly every day. They also expressed bewilderment that the White House staff would even care so much as to make an issue out of the fact that the F-22 was placed in the hanger with the president.
A White House official, commenting on background basis, told The Cable that yes, there were discussions about which plane or planes would be in the hanger, but that they were not meant as an insult to the pilots and other personnel who work on the F-22. The official couldn't elaborate on why the White House aides felt it necessary to get involved in the matter in the first place.
The official pointed to Obama's speech to the troops that day, where he praised both the 90th Fighter Squadron, known as the "Dicemen," and the 525th Fighter Squadron, the "Bulldogs," both of which operate the F-22.
Even so, the Air Force personnel thought it odd the White House wanted to display the older plane rather than the more advanced plane that, in the eyes of its supporters, represents the latest and greatest in American aviation. read more from FOX
8 comments:
He has no problem with many photo ops, but he won the Nobel Peace Prize, he can not be seen in a photo with a fighter jet. I wouldn't be surprised if that was part of his thinking.He is all about image, not just with Americans but with the world and he probably did not like the image that it would have portrayed. During his speech at West Point he even mentioned the photo op he had watching the caskets come home, I found that to be in bad taste.
I was saying elsewhere that i'm surprised obama didn't ask for a make-love-not-war-pass-the-joint back drop for his teleprompters speech.
Would have been a damned shame if some *ordinance* had just happened to *accidentally* gone off...
Just sayin'...
He disgusts me more every day.
Debbie
Right Truth
The man is a disgrace to the office of President. He is the sorriest commander-in-chief ever! The man just likes filling his ego and acting like a celebrity. He really sickens me more that each day goes by.
I wonder if any of the F-22 pilots are flying escort for Airforce One---get my drift.
Of course not! The F-22 didn't give him any campaign donations.
Ron
This one really pisses me off.
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