Might Not Have Anything To Worry About With the New SecAF Nominee

Started by NIN, January 23, 2017, 09:48:04 PM

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NIN

Folks were worried about whether or not Mattis as the SecDef would mean much for CAP.

So it was announced today that President Trump intends to nominate former NM Congresswoman and AF Academy graduate Heather Wilson as the next Secretary of the Air Force.

She's originally from Keene, NH (NH represent!) and, according to her bio on Wikipedia:

Quote from: WikipediaWilson was born in Keene, New Hampshire, the daughter of Martha Lou, nurse, and George Douglas "Doug" Wilson, a commercial pilot and member of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Wilson grew up around aviation and hoped to become a pilot like her father and grandfather before her.[2] Her paternal grandparents were born in Scotland.[1] Her grandfather, George Gordon "Scotty" Wilson, flew for the Royal Flying Corps in World War I and emigrated to America in 1922 where he was a barnstormer and airport operator in the 1920s and 1930s. He served as a courier pilot during World War II and started the New Hampshire Civil Air Patrol where he was a Wing Commander. Her father started flying at age 13 and enlisted in the United States Air Force after high school.

It may not take much to get her rogered up on CAP, either.

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

SarDragon

Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
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C/WO, CAP, Ret

SAREXinNY


Luis R. Ramos

Some members are answering, worried. Maybe there should have been a PM to notify Nin there was a PM coming...?

>:D
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SarDragon

That's why they are called Private/Personal Messages. Nin is sometimes less than diligent checking his PMs, so I let him know  to look for one.

Now, back to our new SecAF.  >:(
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

Eclipse

I read her bio and more background today while discussing her nomination at the meeting tonight.

USAFA grad of one of the first classes to admit woman, 7 years in, separated as a Captain.

Left the USAF to serve on the NSC.

Founded a business.

Part of the NM Governor's Administration.

Served as a House Rep from NM for 11 years.

IFR Pilot, married to a retired USAF Col.

Eminently qualified, thus the media already taking shots, not likely to matter.

"That Others May Zoom"

DesertFlyer

She is eminently qualified and very dedicated. I met her a few times during her political career here in NM and always was quite impressed. At one point, we discussed CAP and she was very familiar with it and expressed strong support.
Lt Col Dave Finley, CAP
Socorro Composite Squadron
New Mexico Wing

Semper Fidelis -- Semper Vigilans

PHall

Well, if she get's confirmed she will be the first of the Trump appointees for Service Secretaries to be confirmed.
The nominees for Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy have both withdrawn their nominations.

NIN

Its gotta be difficult to be an appointee like this.  You sort of "interview," your name gets submitted, you generally get excoriated for your choice of breakfast cereal and the brand of socks you wear, and then you... wait. Am I moving to DC or not? Where are my kids going to go to school?  Where am I going to live?

Then the process drags on, worse than any job interview process ever.  Months. Its been over a month since Heather Wilson's nomination was announced.  Where is it sitting? In a committee someplace.

Ever been to a couple interviews for a position and they say "Yeah, we're going to make a decision on this in the next week.." and you're sitting there on tenterhooks going "Ok, week, lets go!"  This is like 10x worse.

Its not like you can call up: "Hey, yeah, Don, uh, I was wondering if you had any news on that position you interviewed me for? Yeah?  House Armed Services Committee, huh?  No, no, I get it, yeah.. I'm still interested, of course, I just.. well, my car registration is coming up this month and I figured, you know, why should I register my car in New Mexico if I'm going to be living in DC for the next few years.  Uh huh.  And, well, the kids. Yeah.  The oldest one has already told all of her friends 'smell ya later!' whatever that means.  Uh huh.  Teenagers, right?  OK, well, keep me in the loop, willya? At this point, you know, my schedule is pretty much wide open, since CNN already gave my notice to my current employer..."

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

Luis R. Ramos

Nin, you write a good novella! Have ya considered scriptin' for film?

The Civil Air Patrol Story, may be a good one even though it has been used before...

Or wait! CAPTalk Story!!!

>:D
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Eclipse

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-defense-wilson-idUSKBN1842I4



"The U.S. Senate easily confirmed Heather Wilson, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives, on Monday to be President Donald Trump's secretary of the Air Force.

The vote was 76-22 in favor of Wilson becoming the top civilian overseeing the Air Force. The 22 "no" votes all came from Democrats.

At her confirmation hearing in March, Wilson praised the stealth capability of Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet, in remarks suggesting the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system would have an important advocate.

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and former Rhodes scholar, Wilson, 56, has been president of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology since 2013. She was a House member from New Mexico from 1998 to 2009 and had served on the National Security Council under President George H.W. Bush."

"That Others May Zoom"

Spam


Quote from: Eclipse on May 09, 2017, 07:25:24 PM

At her confirmation hearing in March, Wilson praised the stealth capability of Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet,


Urk. I think you made me throw up in my mouth there. Oh well, there goes the title of THIS thread...

V/r
Spam





PHall

Quote from: Eclipse on May 09, 2017, 07:25:24 PM
At her confirmation hearing in March, Wilson praised the stealth capability of Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet, in remarks suggesting the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system would have an important advocate.


Of course she did. She was a paid lobbyist for Lockheed.

Luis R. Ramos

Quote

I think you made me throw up in my mouth there.


Wow. A new ability. How do you do that? Look up and throw out to catch in your mouth?

All people I know throw out of their mouth... Or just throw up... Just not in their mouth...
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Spam

Sit in enough JAST/JSF/F-35 working group meetings and PMRs, Luis. You'll see enough cheeks puffing and swallowing around the room as your fellow pilots and engineers battle their rising gorge, and you'll master the technique yourself.

F-35, remember, isn't a Navy, USMC, or USAF program. Its an OSD program, and she is taking the masters coin properly.

Sigh...
Spam

Luis R. Ramos

Sir, you still have not convinced me you can throw up in your mouth, but did convince you can throw down your mouth...

>:D
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PHall

Quote from: Spam on May 13, 2017, 06:11:56 PM
Sit in enough JAST/JSF/F-35 working group meetings and PMRs, Luis. You'll see enough cheeks puffing and swallowing around the room as your fellow pilots and engineers battle their rising gorge, and you'll master the technique yourself.

F-35, remember, isn't a Navy, USMC, or USAF program. Its an OSD program, and she is taking the masters coin properly.

Sigh...
Spam

Wasn't the last time they tried to do an "All Services" aircraft was when Robert Strange Mc Namera tried to force the F-111 on both the Air Force and the Navy?
The Aardvark worked okay for the Air Force, after they got most of the bugs out of it. But they could never  get the weight down enough for the Navy to use it.

abdsp51

Quote from: PHall on May 13, 2017, 11:58:29 PM
Quote from: Spam on May 13, 2017, 06:11:56 PM
Sit in enough JAST/JSF/F-35 working group meetings and PMRs, Luis. You'll see enough cheeks puffing and swallowing around the room as your fellow pilots and engineers battle their rising gorge, and you'll master the technique yourself.

F-35, remember, isn't a Navy, USMC, or USAF program. Its an OSD program, and she is taking the masters coin properly.

Sigh...
Spam

Wasn't the last time they tried to do an "All Services" aircraft was when Robert Strange Mc Namera tried to force the F-111 on both the Air Force and the Navy?
The Aardvark worked okay for the Air Force, after they got most of the bugs out of it. But they could never  get the weight down enough for the Navy to use it.

If IIRC the F111 was orignially a Navy bird built to house the AWG-9 radar ad the AIM-54 Phoenix missile and the Navy ditched it during testing due to it being to heavy and pilots could hardly see the deck upon landing.  The AF picked it up shortly after that.

PHall

Quote from: abdsp51 on May 14, 2017, 01:44:52 AM
Quote from: PHall on May 13, 2017, 11:58:29 PM
Quote from: Spam on May 13, 2017, 06:11:56 PM
Sit in enough JAST/JSF/F-35 working group meetings and PMRs, Luis. You'll see enough cheeks puffing and swallowing around the room as your fellow pilots and engineers battle their rising gorge, and you'll master the technique yourself.

F-35, remember, isn't a Navy, USMC, or USAF program. Its an OSD program, and she is taking the masters coin properly.

Sigh...
Spam

Wasn't the last time they tried to do an "All Services" aircraft was when Robert Strange Mc Namera tried to force the F-111 on both the Air Force and the Navy?
The Aardvark worked okay for the Air Force, after they got most of the bugs out of it. But they could never  get the weight down enough for the Navy to use it.

If IIRC the F111 was orignially a Navy bird built to house the AWG-9 radar ad the AIM-54 Phoenix missile and the Navy ditched it during testing due to it being to heavy and pilots could hardly see the deck upon landing.  The AF picked it up shortly after that.

No, it was a Joint program from the start. The F-111A was the Air Force version used in North Viet Nam in 1972 and the Navy version was the F-111B.
Australia brought the F-111C. The Air Force also brought the F-111E and F and the FB-111A for SAC. They also converted a number of F-111A's to EF-111A's.
The SAC FB-111A's were redesiganted as F-111G's after they were transferred from SAC to ACC.