[Infowarrior] - WH Military Office Director Resigns over AF1 flyover

[Richard Forno]

After Flyover of Air Force One Backup, Military Office Director Resigns
By Jeff Zeleny
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/after-air-force-one-flyover-military-office-director-resigns/?hp


The White House released a photo of the plane flying over New York  
City on Friday.The White House The White House on Friday released the  
April 27 photo of the plane flying over New York City.

The director of the White House Military Office submitted his  
resignation on Friday, less than two weeks after he authorized a  
flyover by an Air Force One backup of the Statue of Liberty that  
terrified thousands of people in New York City.

Louis Caldera, who served as the secretary of the Army in the Clinton  
administration, apologized for the “distraction” that approving the  
flyover caused. He said in a brief letter to President Obama on Friday  
that it “has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White  
House Military Office.”

On April 27, a plane that usually serves as the president’s plane was  
flying low over the New York City skyline, trailed closely by two  
fighter jets. It was a photo opportunity – authorized by several  
government officials, including Mr. Caldera – that infuriated Mr. Obama.

Last week, Mr. Obama ordered a deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, to  
review the incident. And on Friday afternoon, a seven-page review of  
the matter was released, along with the photograph.

Mr. Messina, in his memorandum to the president, said that “structural  
and organizational ambiguities” in the White House Military Office led  
to a series of miscommunications and senior aides to the president  
were not advised of the flyover that had been in the planning stages  
since March.

“The breakdown was the lack of public notification,” the memorandum  
states, adding that Mr. Caldera believed others had been notified  
about the flight.

“If he had been aware that the flight would cause so much trouble or  
any embarrassment to the president or to the White House,” the report  
said, “he never would have allowed it to go forward.”