Political Quotes

“We now have had 43 of them crash, at least according to my estimates and my reports, this year. That is almost more aircraft than we are building but it also claimed about 70 lives. The Navy reports that they have more crashes this year per thousand flying hours than they had last year, roughly twice as many. Now, last year we had what was considered to be a very good year in the Navy in terms of a safety record. But they mentioned when they came over and briefed the defense committees in this body and the other body that this is something that they are very concerned about. So at a time when we are trying to get pilots to do two things, one we are trying to get our experienced pilots to stay in and they are not staying in. The rate of leaving the services for senior pilots who could stay in, who could opt to stay in the Marines is now 92 percent. That means 92 percent of them are leaving. Only 8 percent are staying who are eligible.”