Brickbat: Flying High

An inspector general's report has found the U.S. Air Force spent $549 million on Italian-made cargo planes for the Afghan government. Afghan pilots made numerous complaints about the safety of the planes, and they had frequent maintenance issues, with delays in obtaining spare parts. The planes were sold for scrap metal for $40,257 just six years after the program began. An Air Force general heavily involved in the program later retired from active duty and was hired by the company that sold the planes as its main contact with the Air Force on the program.