NEWSMAX: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has commuted on military aircraft to his home in northern California more than two dozen times since he took over the Pentagon in July, paying about $630 per trip for a roundtrip flight that costs the Pentagon about $32,000.
The totals detailed by defense officials lay out his reimbursements for the first time, showing he paid the Treasury about $17,000 for the 27 personal trips. Based on fuel and other operating expenses for his Air Force plane, those same trips cost the government as much as $860,000.
As Pentagon chief, Panetta is required to travel on military planes because they have the secure communications equipment he needs to stay in contact with the president and other top civilian and military leaders… (more)
EDITOR: Would anyone want to fly in the same commercial plane as the Secretary of Defense, someone so subject to attack by terrorists? Does a man whose responsibilities entail protecting a million military lives and overseeing a half a trillion dollar (estimate) budget be standing around in line to take commercial flights home? If the Secretary of Defense has to fly commercial, how about the Vice – President and perhaps the President. Of course the question is at what level does such special treatment apply.
