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.
His bill for the travel is calculated according to reimbursement formulas dictated by longstanding federal policies using what a full-fare coach trip would cost. And the Pentagon says it costs about $3,200 per flight hour to operate the small plane he usually uses for the 10-hour round trip.
Read more at OfficialWire. By Lolita C. Baldor, AP.
Related posts:
- US Military Paid $1.1 Trillion To Contractors That Defrauded The Government The Pentagon has paid $1.1 trillion to hundreds of defense…
- Panetta Challenges Lawmakers Over Opposition To Pentagon Cuts Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman…
Get Informed! Read More About this topic::
- Panetta Set To Announce Expanded Military Role For Women Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta spoke Thursday morning on lifting...
- Gov’t Report: Tax Cheats Getting Paid By Medicaid WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of Medicaid health care service providers...
- Unbelievable: Taxpayers Paid For Batman Shooter’s Education! WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) – James Holmes, the alleged gunman in the...
What ever happened to 'Pay as you go'??? Let him pay the expense and PERHAPS reimburse him $630 per trip. After all, doesn't he have TSA to protect him???