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I am so tired this morning. I couldn't go to sleep last night until after two. We talked to Bryan a little yesterday (we missed talking to him while getting freebie merry-go-round rides). He did explain to me that not all the bases sent airmen for this general's ceremony, but 11 bases in the command did. He also adjusted his estimate of 30 airmen to 40 from our base. He said that we are one of the bigger bases and the others probably sent fewer, which I had guessed yesterday.

But he had some insight on the cost. Here are the cost factors:

• Jet fuel (He estimated a conservative 80,000lb for his flight)
  
• Lodging costs
• Per diem
• Air crew man hours
• Attendee man hours lost

Another cost that would be hard to pin down is the cost of the award itself. Here's what I've come up with...

When Bryan won the Wing Airman of the Quarter, the award was a large, scale model (1:100) C-17 on a custom wood pedestal. The plane part is from the Boeing Store, and retails for $275. The custom wood base, we'll say $40 including the engraving. So $315 for Airman of the Quarter, of which there are dozens around the world.

Ok, now how much more do you think the Air Force would spend on a retiring general who's given probably about 30 years of his life in service? Of course, we can only guess. But there is a cost there.

I just hate when the government misuses the American tax dollars. I am sure the Air Force had the money allotted to them for some such purpose. But you know, that's enough to pay Bryan's (E-5, 4-6 years in service) salary more than 90 times*. I just think that the money could be used in a more responsible way.



*And you're probably not aware of "force shaping" - the Air Force has cut about 20,000 of enlisted and officer jobs in just the last year. The efforts have been in place since 2004, I think.