40 Marine Aircraft Missing

Wednesday, July 08, 2009
V-22 Osprey

The V-22 Osprey has always been something of a problem child for the military. The hybrid part-helicopter-part-airplane suffered through enough development problems back in the 1980s that Dick Cheney, when he was Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan, tried to kill the program, only to watch Congress keep it alive. Since the 1990s, 26 Marines and four civilians have been killed in Osprey crashes.

 
Now, it’s Congress’ turn to face the music over the V-22, or more precisely the missing 40 Ospreys that the U.S. Marine Corps can’t account for. As of fiscal year 2009, Congress had appropriated enough money for the Marines to have 155 Ospreys. But inventory records indicate the service is missing 40 of the aircraft, and Marine Corps leaders have stonewalled lawmakers and congressional investigators about turning over its complete records on the V-22.
 
After the Corps refused to provide the Government Accountability Office (GAO) with detailed records, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform demanded in May information on the location, status and readiness of the USMC’s entire fleet of Ospreys. Marine Corps officers refused to comply, claiming the data was classified. This caused the committee to postpone a hearing on the matter, and its chairman threatened to subpoena the records.
 
To demonstrate just how discombobulated the Corps is over its fleet of Ospreys, the head of Marine Corps Aviation, Lieutenant General George Trautman, was prepared in May to testify that his service had received only 91 Ospreys—even though Trautman had attended a special ceremony only a year earlier celebrating the receipt of the USMC’s 100th V-22.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
40 MV-22s are Missing (by Carlton Meyer, G2mil.com)
Bell Boeing Celebrates 100th V-22 Osprey (Bell Helicopter press release))

Comments

Lenny 15 years ago
I am a V-22 maintainer. There are lots of probs with this aircraft, and lots of lies. I'm just surfing the net to look for answers. G2mil has lots of good info, but I don't if they are true. But I see Mr. Cunningham still don't ID himself. His link provides no info either. All I know is that real Marines don't back stab each other with hidden IDs. Semper Fi. Lenny
A.A. Cunningham 15 years ago
"Robert" is sadly mistaken. Carlton Meyer, who was exposed for the fraud he is on the Osprey thread at military.com: http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5671946761/m/591104612 has no practical experience with the Osprey and has a proven vendetta against the Marine Corps in general for effectively firing him. Stating those facts is not a personal attack despite the ignorant claim made by "Robert". If Meyer or anyone else thinks they've got a case for slander or libel against me then get a lawyer and you'll find out how mistaken you are. Truth is a viable defense to a claim of libel or slander. The claim that I am a paid "flogger" for Bell/Boeing is laughable and one that that simpleton Meyer has made in the past. If you or anyone else has proof that I have ever received a single penny from any firm or person associated with the program, then provide it. If I am a paid "flogger" then that genius Meyer, or even "Robert" for that matter, should be able to prove it. Why hasn't he or anyone else been able to accomplish that simple task? The problem with the Osprey bashers is that they never do their homework and they they cry when they get caught perpetuating lies and myths about the aircraft. Facts are the enemy of their "truth". Case in point, explain why Mark Thompson at Time magazine never responded to a single point by point critique of his seriously flawed hit piece? "Robert" and Meyer are both full of bovine excrement.
Robert 15 years ago
Do a internet search for "A.A. Cunningham" and "V-22". You will see he is a "flogger" a paid public relations man for Bell that searches the Internet and makes vile attacks on anyone critical of the V-22 program. Note his childish personal attacks, and doesn't try to address the facts raised. He would be sued if he'd posted such lies under his real name. If you read that G2mil article, it has a pic of V-22 No. 98, the 98th V-22 delivered to the Marines, flying around with squadron markings the same day as the ceremony for the 100th V-22 delivered. The other big story there is the Marines admit that a dozen production V-22s are unrepairable, yet they never filed Class A mishap reports or conducted JAG investigations. The DOD IG is taking a look.
A.A. Cunningham 15 years ago
"Dick Cheney, when he was Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan, tried to kill the program," Cheney was Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush and his repeated attempts to kill the Osprey were based on the advice of his accountant, David S. Chu, not on any technical or developmental problems with the platform. Cheney's actions in diverting funds appropriated for the Osprey to other prograns was illegal and he only stopped said action when threatened with criminal prosecution by Congress. Brinkerhoff should dig into the ties that Cheney and Chu had to United Technologies but that would require actual research which he is obviously incapable of. Relying on Carlton Meyer for facts is like relying on the Clinton's for interpretation of the Constitution - idiotic. The very mention of Meyer, who was in effect fired by the Marine Corps when he was not retained, is very telling about the integrity, or lack thereof, of those who mention him in a favorable light. Meyer is a proven fraud and neither he nor Brinkerhoff could find their backsides with both hands if you spotted them nine fingers.
Mike 15 years ago
It's a shame you didn't do some real research, nor did you watch the hearing or read the testimony. Real solid journalism Noel. As to Carlton Meyer, he has been totally discredited in the past for lying to push his own agenda, and no one with credibility pays any attention to his rambling discourse on military issues. What you don't realize about the delivery of the 100th Osprey is some of those belong to the Air Force.

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