Vital Strategic Debate at Air Force: What color leather for our comfort capsules?

By Ken Silverstein

From the Project on Government Oversight (POGO):

While elements of the Air Force brass were bickering about color coordination for their new comfort capsules, troops have sat for hours on long flights in mangled seats and on netting inside cargo aircraft, POGO has learned. Last Friday, POGO revealed that numerous Air Force generals wasted time and taxpayer dollars on frivolous changes for new “world class” accommodations for themselves while they fly on cargo aircraft.

“No one disputes that senior Pentagon leaders need space, but contrast the time and money wasted bickering over the color of leather with what the troops go through,” said Nick Schwellenbach, POGO’s national security investigator.

Also see this previous statement from POGO, which originally reported on “two little-known programs to build ‘world-class’ luxury aircraft accommodations for the military and senior civilian leadership…Requirements documents emphasize the need for “aesthetically pleasing” accommodations. Emails obtained by POGO state that Air Force generals upgraded the leather, carpet, and wood choices, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to the program cost.”