Subject: Re: Where's the Air Force? Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:55:59 +0000 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F113HbhWE9AUXevVWMn0000f80b@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 11 Mar 2002 14:55:59.0693 (UTC) FILETIME=[DB2B67D0:01C1C90C] You know, it really frosts me when folks who don't know what happened and haven't seen the intel reports comment from an authoritative position on the tragic events of that day. To ask rhetorically, "where was the Air Force?" and then answer the question with an "X- Files" government cover-up slant ignores the basic premise that the events happened way too fast for any response to occur and prevent the tragedy. The 102nd Fighter Wing flying F-15s and based at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts received a scramble notice shortly after the AA B-767 hit World Trade Center Tower 1. Five minutes after they received the notice two F-15s were airborne. Not five minutes after engine start, but five minutes after they received the alert. The two jets were about seven minutes away or approximately 75 miles when the United B-767 hit WTC Tower 2. Do the math:Their groundspeed was almost 650 mph. Much has been said about "combat ready" F-16 and F/A-18 jets based near the Pentagon. Combat ready is not the same as alert ready or mission ready. Again, there was insufficient time to intercept the AA B757 that crashed into the Pentagon. United's Flt 93 that crashed in western Pennsylvania had heroic men and women aboard. They paid the ultimate price to prevent their B-757 from crashing into the White House or the Capitol Building. However, an F-16 was moving into an intercept position and, if need be, was capable of downing the commercial airline jet. I must add that this nation is not in the habit of intercepting and shooting down commercial airliners. Can you imagine being a United or American pilot performing your training period with the Air Guard and then being ordered to shoot down one of your company's aircraft, especially when you might know the flight crew members aboard it? Last, much criticism has been leveled at the Air Force for not being better prepared for this type of event. Many of us who wear the military uniform of the United States take such criticism in a stoic fashion. However, I offer this analogy: Until September 11, the military was trained to defend America from external attacks, not internal. How many people on this list secure their home or apartment in the belief they'll be safe from an attack? Oh, and how many folks think they'll be attacked from inside their residence? This is not the time to ask "what happened?" and dwell on the event. Rather, it is the time to ask "how can we prevent this type of event from occurring again?" and then undertake the necessary measures to ensure it doesn't happen again on American soil. Regards to the list, JCK _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com