David Botti
|
Apr 25, 2008 03:03 PM
The Air Force Times reported today
that the bankruptcy of a civilian airline under contract to provide
flights for the military is delaying homecoming for some troops. ATA
shut down the day after filing for bankruptcy on April 2--the airline's
second bankruptcy in nearly three years. An army spokesman told the AF
Times that troops could expect delays of two to six days for the next
several weeks.
ATA was part of the FedEx Teaming Arrangement, a
group of airlines contracted by the military to transport troops and
their families overseas. The Indianapolis Star reported on the circumstances of the local air carrier's demise:
Hampered by unprofitable routes, ATA lost $75 million last year and was
in talks with five potential suitors when FedEx, with apparently little
explanation, decided to cut off the Indianapolis carrier's only money
maker: military charters...Its roots were passenger charters that led the carrier, earlier known
as American Trans Air, to branch out into troop charters. ATA operates
a $340 million-a-year airborne bus line ferrying troops and their
families to and from places where the U.S. military stations troops
worldwide.
Back on the home front, military families awaiting the return of their stranded loved ones are speaking out. The Hartford Courant has the story of one father who reached out to his old college roommate, Miramax Films co-founder Harvey Weinstein, for help:
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David Botti
|
Apr 2, 2008 10:36 AM
A reader recently pointed me to an incredibly detailed interactive map
indicating the hometowns of U.S. military casualties from Operations
Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Based on information available from
the Department of Defense, the map's creator has allowed viewers to
filter the map by branch of service, military operation, sex, and age. Check it out here. It first appears zoomed in on the New York City area, but one can view anywhere in the country.
From the Website's mission statement:
In mid 2007 oobgolf.com launched an advanced golf course finder for our users. We recently made the decision
to use that same technology and development resources to map the hometowns of soldiers who have died in
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This was not done as a political statement. We simply felt that this tool provided a unique way for Americans
to connect to these fallen soldiers in a new more personal way.
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