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@NatashaBertrand | |||||
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Had the crew needed to make a stop in the U.K.—which they have never done before on this routine trip—Lakenheath Air Base is situated nearby in England. The layover might have been cheaper, too: the military gets billed at a higher rate for fuel at commercial airports.
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Natasha Bertrand
@NatashaBertrand
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7. ruj |
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BREAKING: House Oversight is investigating whether US military expenditures have been propping up Trump Turnberry. A peculiar refueling stop in Glasgow by a US Air Force crew, who stayed overnight at the resort—there & back—tipped them off. Our exclusive: politico.com/story/2019/09/…
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Natasha Bertrand
@NatashaBertrand
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7. ruj |
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One crew member was so struck by the choice of hotel—markedly different than the Marriotts and Hiltons the 176th maintenance squadron is used to—that he texted someone close to him and said the crew’s per diem allowance wasn’t enough to cover food and drinks at the ritzy resort.
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Natasha Bertrand
@NatashaBertrand
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7. ruj |
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“The Defense Department has not produced a single document in this investigation,” said a senior Democratic aide on the oversight panel. “The committee will be forced to consider alternative steps if the Pentagon does not begin complying voluntarily in the coming days.”
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Natasha Bertrand
@NatashaBertrand
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7. ruj |
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It should also be noted that the military has spent $11 million on fuel at Prestwick Airport — the closest airport to Trump Turnberry, where this particular crew’s plane refueled in March — since October 2017. That fuel would be cheaper if purchased at a U.S. military base.
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Isolde Rurocks
@LunaIssy
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7. ruj |
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A more likely U.K. stopover would have been RAF Mildenhall, home to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, and literally just down the road from RAF Lakenheath. To this former USAF civilian, official use of the Prestwick airport is absurd and deeply troubling.
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Johnlock is my 🍷 of ☕️
@HarryWatson1988
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7. ruj |
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RAF Lossiemouth in the North of Scotland is quite commonly used.
FYI it’s also the emergency shuttle landing site on this side of the Atlantic for NASA b/c the runway is designed for large military aircraft.
There is no excuse for landing at a commercial airport in Glasgow.
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Snake Doctor🐍👨⚕️
@TimBuntley
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7. ruj |
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Oh I'm sure @noaa will release a statement saying that due to the threat of hurricane Dorian, Lakenheath Air Force base was not an option and the crew had no choice but to stay at one of Trumps properties. pic.twitter.com/LYSOfAwZAJ
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TOCB
@TOCB10
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8. ruj |
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I have worked many troop charters, carrying troops to Kuwait and Bahrain on a commercial aircraft, chartered by DOD. Even the major American carriers always stopped at military bases for refueling. Never have I ever stopped at a commercial airfield while on a military charter.
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Jarl Blanks 🇺🇸 🇩🇰
@HardHatMike
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7. ruj |
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We stop at Prestwick quite regularly when transiting from the Middle East back stateside when RAF Mildenhall (which is slated to close) is unable to accommodate us. Lakenheath's runway is too short for our aircraft type with the heavy fuel loads required for a transatlantic jump.
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Jarl Blanks 🇺🇸 🇩🇰
@HardHatMike
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7. ruj |
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I should say, however, that we always stay at a very nice hotel in nearby Ayr that falls within our usual allowable per diem rates.
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Biff
@Biff12345678910
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7. ruj |
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“Good try, Natasha. I’m going to do nothing!” 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/dcEm2iGBWd
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Carl Carlos Griffiths
@CarlGri88583228
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8. ruj |
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Or Fairford or Mildenhall all large US bases which they flew over on the way there unbelievable
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