The U.S. Air Force has removed a general from his post for telling airmen on Jan. 10 that defending the A-10 Thunderbolt while speaking with lawmakers was tantamount to “treason.”
Air Combat Command said Friday that Maj. Gen. James Post has left his command position and been reprimanded.
“It was sincerely never my intention to discourage anyone’s access to their elected officials. I now understand how my poor choice of words may have led a few attendees to draw this conclusion, and I offer my humble apology for causing any undue strain on the command and its mission,” Gen. Post said in a statement, Stars and Stripes reported Friday.
ACC found that Gen. Post’s comments had a “chilling effect” on airmen, which hindered their ability to speak frankly with lawmakers, the newspaper reported.
The Air Force has been locked in a protracted budget battle with Congress over the A-10 “Warthog.” Advocates of the popular ground-support aircraft do not want it to be completely phased out in favor of the F-35 stealth fighter.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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