Use of Air National Guard Aircraft To Transport Personnel to and From a Bowling Tournament

Gao ID: AFMD-81-44 March 27, 1981

A survey was conducted to inquire into the effectiveness of controls over the use of National Guard aircraft in transporting personnel to sporting events. Questions were raised about the propriety of the Air National Guard's use of many of its aircraft to transport Guard personnel to and from a bowling tournament held in Nashville, Tennessee.

GAO found that these flights were made despite messages sent by the National Guard Bureau to State units forbidding such use. According to Air Force policy, only previously scheduled valid training flights may airlift space-available passengers to participate in sporting events. It is inappropriate to schedule flights to airlift space-available passengers to a sporting event and then justify the flights as training missions. The National Guard policy regarding the airlifting of personnel for purposes of competition or nonoperational functions is that special flights will not be generated to accommodate the schedules of competitive teams. GAO identified 12 military aircraft which were used to airlift space-available passengers to the 1980 bowling tournament.

Recommendations

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