SECRETARY FOR THE AIR FORCE
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SECRETARY FOR THE AIR FORCE
So President Trump has nominated Heather Wilson as Secretary for the Air Force. This is apparently the first time a former serving Air Force officer has held the position. Wilson graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1982. She served as an Air Force officer in Europe during the Cold War and on the National Security Council Staff under President George H.W. Bush. Her husband is a retired Air Force colonel, her father and grandfather were pilots and she holds a private instrument rated licence.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Highly impressive resume to say the least. They may mock Trump as an individual, but as a CEO he knows how to pick his staff.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat...ssional_career
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat...ssional_career
TTN:-
Just listened to a recording of Hancock's Half-Hour, on BBC Radio 4, in which he requires his new secretary, Griselda Pugh (played by Hattie Jacques), to perform some task or other.
"I can't, I haven't finished the filing yet".
Well you can finish that later!
"No I can't, I've only done two fingers!".
Can she type?
"I can't, I haven't finished the filing yet".
Well you can finish that later!
"No I can't, I've only done two fingers!".
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Heather Wilson seems like a very bright woman. I also agree that President Trump seems to be very good at selecting candidates for his administration positions. And it is important to remember that the US military is ultimately under command of civilian leaders. However, Heather Wilson had a fairly short Air Force career that did not include much flying.
SWMBO is so good at reverse parking that neither I nor our 2 sons ( including the ace single seat fighter now test pilot man ) like demonstrating our skills when she's a passenger!
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Reverse parking is simple, I reverse parked a mates caravan at warp speed too, he couldn't believe it, 30 odd years of pushing aircraft in reverse soon sharpens that little skill up. 
Well what is she doing on Trumps staff?
Heather Wilson seems like a very bright woman.
Slight drift - car park on a steep slope in Honiton, SWMBO parking the Discovery with 5 year old in the back. Waits for another driver to vacate space with awkward reversing manoeuvre, then drives forward into it. Small voice from the back -"If you had gone in backwards you would not have the trouble getting out she has just had". Just for once SWMBO is speechless.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
I also agree that President Trump seems to be very good at selecting candidates for his administration positions.
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I know Brits aren't big on titles but the position is Secretary of the Air Force.
Her predecessor is also female, by the way.
In 1997 President Clinton attempted to place another Air Force Academy graduate, Daryl Jones, in the job. However, discrepancies surfaced in his flying record and his former squadron commander and several of his former 'Mako' squadron mates flew to DC to testify against his nomination on Capitol Hill.
Jones joined the F-16 Air National Guard unit at Homestead AFB in the wake of the 1988 FAA test cheating scandal. However, his law practice and political career were on the rise and he perhaps didn't devote enough attention to maintaining his flying skills.
He apparently scraped the tail on an F-16 twice in the same day. After several other safety issues his squadron commander allowed him to ground himself, a fact that did not appear in his application for Senate confirmation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archi...=.df20efd340de
Her predecessor is also female, by the way.
In 1997 President Clinton attempted to place another Air Force Academy graduate, Daryl Jones, in the job. However, discrepancies surfaced in his flying record and his former squadron commander and several of his former 'Mako' squadron mates flew to DC to testify against his nomination on Capitol Hill.
Jones joined the F-16 Air National Guard unit at Homestead AFB in the wake of the 1988 FAA test cheating scandal. However, his law practice and political career were on the rise and he perhaps didn't devote enough attention to maintaining his flying skills.
He apparently scraped the tail on an F-16 twice in the same day. After several other safety issues his squadron commander allowed him to ground himself, a fact that did not appear in his application for Senate confirmation.
The Florida state legislator in line to become the next secretary of the Air Force was compelled to stop flying fighter jets in 1991 as a reservist after his commander expressed concern that he was compromising safety.
Daryl L. Jones reluctantly agreed to stay out of the cockpit and take a support job rather than face a formal move to ground him, according to accounts by him and his former superiors. His uneven performance in the air stirred complaints at the time among some squadron members, and a series of mishaps finally prompted warnings from his commander that he was becoming a risk to himself and others.
Senior White House and Defense Department officials who had signed off on Jones's expected nomination as secretary said they had been unaware of the episode until asked about it by a reporter. Officer evaluation reports about Jones from the period contain no mention of his deteriorating flying performance in 1991 or the decision by his commander to confront him, according to a government official with access to the confidential records.
Daryl L. Jones reluctantly agreed to stay out of the cockpit and take a support job rather than face a formal move to ground him, according to accounts by him and his former superiors. His uneven performance in the air stirred complaints at the time among some squadron members, and a series of mishaps finally prompted warnings from his commander that he was becoming a risk to himself and others.
Senior White House and Defense Department officials who had signed off on Jones's expected nomination as secretary said they had been unaware of the episode until asked about it by a reporter. Officer evaluation reports about Jones from the period contain no mention of his deteriorating flying performance in 1991 or the decision by his commander to confront him, according to a government official with access to the confidential records.
I know Brits aren't big on titles but the position is Secretary of the Air Force.
Two nations divided ... etc
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Like most folks in America, I didn't know who the Prime Minister was until recently, much less what to call her.
President Trump just referred to her as Prime Minister May in his press conference while thanking her for her warm support. What should he have called her, Mrs. May?
I remember flying into RAF Valley in the late 1970's with a Navy plane. The RAF pilots chided us because we let women be Naval Aviators even though their PM or whatever she is called was a woman.
President Trump just referred to her as Prime Minister May in his press conference while thanking her for her warm support. What should he have called her, Mrs. May?
I remember flying into RAF Valley in the late 1970's with a Navy plane. The RAF pilots chided us because we let women be Naval Aviators even though their PM or whatever she is called was a woman.
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I'm with you, Airbubba, what's wrong with Prime Minister May? (as a form of address, that is) ...It's (HM) Queen Elizabeth, President Trump, Corporal Jones. The tone was very clearly respectful (remember Yo Blair?) and I'm not sure even grammatically incorrect.
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Anyway, back on topic ... Heather Wilson did 7 years in the military, and rose to the dizzying rank of captain [USAF]. She was never a pilot ... she chose an academic career [no criticism implied] and did good work as a deskie before taking the post-USAF academic route.
I would suggest that her subsequent qualifications and experience are massively more significant than her peripheral 7 years as a junior officer.
I would suggest that her subsequent qualifications and experience are massively more significant than her peripheral 7 years as a junior officer.