I've never been on a trans-Atlantic aboard a military transport aircraft, but I can guess that they're not the most comfortable way to fly. So it's understandable that top-ranking Air Force brass would want something a little more amenable to resting, taking meetings, and watching Hot Shots Pt. Deux on a 37" flatscreen. That's where the Senior Leader Intransit Comfort Capsule (SLICC) comes in-a private chamber being built for Air Force officers with beds, couches, the aforementioned flatscreen and other amenities. The problem? The Air Force has been caught diverting counterterrorism funds toward big SLICC's development.
Officers already have what's known as the Silver Bullet-a small fleet of full-size trailers that can be loaded onto transport planes for officer travel, which the service claims is not sufficient for the amount of brass traversing the globe these days. What's got folks in Washington upset, however, is the diversion of over $16 million from the general "Global War on Terror" fund to build the pods, and ridiculous inefficiences like spending nearly $70,000 on subtle design tweaks like changing the color of the seat belts from brown to Air Force blue.
Granted, $16 million is pocket change for the Pentagon, and is anyone surprised that a government project is handling expenses inefficiently? When civilian first class gets more and more insane by the day, Air Force officers probably could stand a little in-flight R&R via SLICC.
[Washington Post via Danger Room]
Pictured: United first class pod, Onboard a C-130 transport