The Nation - News from March 8, 1988
The Air Force’s top officer says he never dreamed the Reagan Administration’s military build-up would be derailed so quickly, but he intends to maintain readiness even as his service shrinks. Chief of Staff Gen. Larry D. Welch, in an interview on the eve of congressional hearings on the Air Force’s fiscal 1989 budget, also said the service could not afford to develop the Midgetman nuclear missile favored by many congressional leaders. He said he would press for bonuses for pilots and make it easier for young pilots to stay in the cockpit, and that he would shut down at least three Air Force bases if Congress agrees.
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