EmailThe troupe that contains some of the Navy’s finest fliers will be spending less time in the air and more time grounded for the next six to seven months, thanks to Washington’s budget fight.
The flight demonstration team canceled all shows for the rest of the 2013 season Tuesday morning, citing sequester cuts.
On the same day, the U.S. Air Force announced it was grounding about one-third of its combat command — cutting about 45,000 flying hours from training time — which Air Combat Command Cmdr. Gen. Mike Hostage said could hurt readiness in an emergency situation.
Both cuts come after a slew of warnings from military leaders on the hardships sequestration has imposed on their branches.
The Navy had warned at the onset of sequestration that budget cuts could mean the end of the Blue Angels’ performances, at least temporarily. Now the team has been relegated to its home base in Pensacola, Fla., for the remainder of the season – until October or November, according to Blue Angels Cmdr. Tom Frosch.
The cancellation comes as part of a new Defense Department policy that forbids it from using government money to fund outreach events.
Private funding for individual shows is not an option, because the reduced training time will mean the pilots are not at the top of their game.
Frosch said the team of trained fliers was disappointed by the news.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into this, into learning the demonstration,” he told reporters in Pensacola. “But they understand that this is just one of many steps to focus efforts to the deployed forces and those who are leading them.”
The Blue Angels normally star in air shows across the country, driving recruitment efforts for the Navy and Marines. Frosch said those efforts won’t stop, but they would involve a change in venue.
The Blue Angels will continue to practice but at a level that is “quite a bit less than we normally fly,” Frosch said. They’ll go from flying as much as three times daily to about once or twice a week. “Our hope is that we get turned on for the 2014 season and get back up – full up to speed and have a great season next year.”
The Air Force’s demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, also canceled its 2013 show season because of sequester cuts.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel pledged last week to return part of his sequester-exempt salary in a show of solidarity with furloughed civilian employees over the coming months.
ABC “News” is sorely lacking when they publish something like this, but fail to mention that Joe Biden has gone on 2 recent pleasure trips, costing the taxpayers way over $1M each, and they fail to mention all the vacations the Obama’s have gone on – together and apart – costing us BILLIONS! What a crock! And PLEASE tell me what Diane Sawyer does – or any other newscaster or reporter – that is worth $16 MILLION a year?! You people are out of your minds and are so taken by yourselves that you are really completely out of touch with what REAL reporting is, or what REAL people have to struggle with. Keep pretending like you care, just like the President you work for.
Posted by: Skye Shepard | April 9, 2013, 7:55 pm 7:55 pm
the vacations the Obama’s have gone on – together and apart – costing us BILLIONS!
Posted by: Skye Shepard | April 9, 2013, 7:55 pm 7:55 pm
No, the Obamas going on vacation does not cost billions. They pay for their own holiday, the only thing covered by the taxpayer is the same stuff that’s always been covered for any First Family – Air Force One, security and necessary staff.
Millions of Americans will holiday in Hawaii this year, millions will play golf. He’s the President of the United States.
Posted by: Biker | April 9, 2013, 8:18 pm 8:18 pm
King Obama should be allowed to party at unlimited expense to taxpayers. Sacrifices are for the little people.
Posted by: Sean | April 9, 2013, 9:39 pm 9:39 pm
“Sequestration Cuts Blue Angels Shows, Air Combat Command”
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All so oBama can funnel hard earned taxpayer money to his political cronies thru sham companies supposedly developing solar energy technology.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | April 9, 2013, 10:04 pm 10:04 pm
.
All so oBama can funnel hard earned taxpayer money to his political cronies thru sham companies supposedly developing solar energy technology.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | April 9, 2013, 10:04 pm 10:04 pm
Wasn’t that basically four years ago?
Posted by: Doug | April 9, 2013, 10:09 pm 10:09 pm
All so oBama can funnel hard earned taxpayer money to his political cronies thru sham companies supposedly developing solar energy technology.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | April 9, 2013, 10:04 pm 10:04 pm
Wasn’t that basically four years ago?
Posted by: Doug | April 9, 2013, 10:09 pm 10:09 pm
Oh no, the losses are never-ending during the Era of Hope and Change.
A Pittsburgh, Pa. solar energy company has shut its doors four years after receiving nearly $10.2 million in tax credits from the Obama Administration as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
Flabeg Solar U.S. Corp., a $30 million solar plant located near the Pittsburgh International Airport, opened its doors in 2009 and was said to provide 300 jobs. Now, just four years later, the plant has shut down and laid off more than 60 workers. In addition to this, 10 of its former employees have petitioned a federal judge for severance pay after they lost their jobs last month, according to PA Independent.
Forward!
Posted by: Joe | April 9, 2013, 10:19 pm 10:19 pm
Well that’s just wonderful, I guess macdaddy PBO sending
The first daughter on a foreign excursion, with twelve or more
of her classmates, with “25” secret service agents probably
took care of the BLUE ANGEL BUDGET.
Posted by: lafbidbio | April 9, 2013, 10:39 pm 10:39 pm
All so oBama can funnel hard earned taxpayer money to his political cronies thru sham companies supposedly developing solar energy technology.
Posted by: Joe | April 9, 2013, 10:19 pm 10:19 pm
So yes, that was four years ago.
Posted by: Doug | April 9, 2013, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
Of course we should just surrender the solar energy market to China. Money invested in solar energy is money wasted.
Posted by: big oil | April 9, 2013, 10:55 pm 10:55 pm
Millions of Americans will holiday in Hawaii this year…
Posted by: Biker | April 9, 2013, 8:18 pm 8:18 pm
Lie. You are totally clueless. A very tiny percentage of Americans travel to Hawaii each year.
Posted by: Erin | April 9, 2013, 10:15 pm 10:15 pm
Nice try Erin with all your insults. These figures are publicly available.
Hawaii – 2012 visitors from eastern and western United States
Western United States: 3,194,975
Eastern United States: 1,699,124
Total U.S. visitors: 4,894,099
It would seem, as usual, it is you that’s ‘clueless’. You might cut down on the insults next time, and up quality of your facts.
Posted by: Robert | April 9, 2013, 11:01 pm 11:01 pm
The Tea Party is just fine with this. According to them, cut E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G…except, of course, their tax-dodging unpatriotic billionaires hiding tax revenues in offshore accounts.
Posted by: cici amicci | April 9, 2013, 11:02 pm 11:02 pm
Total U.S. visitors: 4,894,099
Posted by: Robert | April 9, 2013, 11:01 pm 11:01 pm
It would seem, as usual, that you can’t do simple math. That’s only 1.5% of the population, which is indeed a “tiny percentage” as Erin said. Seems you made her point for her. LOL!
Posted by: Carl | April 10, 2013, 6:57 am 6:57 am
Money invested in solar energy is money wasted.
Posted by: big oil | April 9, 2013, 10:55 pm 10:55 pm
The facts bear that out.
Posted by: Carl | April 10, 2013, 6:58 am 6:58 am
Millions of Americans will holiday in Hawaii this year…
Posted by: Biker | April 9, 2013, 8:18 pm 8:18 pm
Lie. You are totally clueless. A very tiny percentage of Americans travel to Hawaii each year.
Posted by: Erin | April 9, 2013, 10:15 pm 10:15 pm
Nice try Erin with all your insults. These figures are publicly available:
Hawaii – 2012 visitors from eastern and western United States
Western United States: 3,194,975
Eastern United States: 1,699,124
Total U.S. visitors: 4,894,099
It would seem, as usual, it is you that’s ‘clueless’. You might cut down on the insults next time, and up quality of your facts.
–
All she said was that millions will go. AND you did the work that proved that millions did in fact go.
Also your rationalization is absurd, it shouldn’t be what percentage of Americans went to Hawaii. It should be what percentage of Americans that vacationed at all compared to those who went to Hawaii.
Posted by: Manuel | April 10, 2013, 10:00 am 10:00 am
Military cuts are fine, no more tours of the people house but keep on keeping on with flying around campaigning at $180,000 per hour plus, Biden and his wife’s one million dollar two night stay in Europe, and partying at the WH. It’s nearly April 15th and all us dumb gullible taxpayers will send in more money for them to waste. I think I’ll add them all as my dependents.
Posted by: Freedom | April 10, 2013, 10:23 am 10:23 am
The suspension of the Blue Angel air shows is bad but the the real worry is that the Air Force is going to have to ground 1/3 of it’s fighter force.
Posted by: tmferretti | April 10, 2013, 10:53 am 10:53 am
FREEDOM
Joe Biden spent only the money Congress gave them for that trip. He spent no more than any other Vice President. Most of the money was for his security detail plus having to pay for rooms that had to be kept empty for communications.
Is it too much?, probably , but you can’t only slam Biden and still be fair
Posted by: tmferretti | April 10, 2013, 10:57 am 10:57 am