TOUGH LOVE FOR THE AIR FORCE

SECDEF Gates finally does something no enemy of the US ever accomplished: he decapitated the USAF fighter mafia:

In bypassing the Air Force's "fighter mafia" in filling the chief of staff's position, Gates appears to be sending a message to the service that it needs to prioritize missions that support the current ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, such as transport flights, in-air refueling and overhead surveillance, according to Pentagon officials.

My hat is off to you, SECDEF Gates. Well done.

If you're in the fighter mafia (blood free wars or your money back!!) don't worry: with the earth's population of robots at four million and growing, your replacements will be along directly.