Senator presses Air Force chief on A-10 ‘treason’ comments

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) on Wednesday pressed a top Air Force official about comments a major general reportedly made that airmen who have spoken to Congress about the retirement of the A-10 committed “treason.”

{mosads}During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Ayotte pressed Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh if he found comments attributed to Maj. Gen James Post “acceptable.”

“I support any airman’s right to discuss anything you’d like to discuss with them,” Welsh replied.

Welsh also said that there is an ongoing investigation, overseen by the Defense Department’s inspector general, into the matter.

“My job is to wait until the facts are known,” he added.

Post, vice commander of Air Combat Command, reportedly told officers during a recent meeting at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada that they were not to speak with lawmakers about the service’s attempt to retire the revered attack jet, commonly called the “Warthog.”

The Arizona Daily Independent, a conservative news website, earlier this month quoted Post as saying, “If anyone accuses me of saying this, I will deny it … anyone who is passing information to Congress about A-10 capabilities is committing treason.”

Air Force leaders recently said they did not regret proposing to retire the A-10 fleet last year in order to save $4 billion over the next five years.

Many of the A-10’s supporters on Capitol Hill, including Ayotte, expect the Air Force will once again suggest retiring the aircraft when it rolls out its budget proposal on Feb. 2.

“It worries me about the climate and the tone that is set” within the service if Post did make those remarks, Ayotte said.

She asked Welsh if there was also a “reverse” investigation happening, where Air Force leaders were trying to find out which airmen had spoken to lawmakers.

Welsh denied the existence of any such investigation, saying he would be “astonished” if that was occurring.