Recently, my 12-year-old son wrote this letter to Vice Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command, whom he met at a conference. Bobby, a "wanna-be" Naval Academy grad and future fighter pilot, is upset because he heard the Navy is going to phase out the F-14 Tomcat.
My younger son, Eric (age 9), came down to the pool one day and said, "Dad, Bobby’s up writing a letter to Admiral Keating." I thought, well, ok, that’s better than him ripping the room apart. He brings it down to me—and I could not believe it. I was so impressed with it I started laughing. "Dad," he said, "why are you laughing?" And I said, "Son, just like sometimes you cry when you’re happy, sometimes when you’re real proud of one of your children you can find a way to appreciate it by laughing."
With all the talk these days of our children not learning or being too busy playing video games, I thought Proceedings readers would appreciate the fact that Bobby not only reads my copy of this magazine each month, but also reads other military publications. It is a very proud father who submitted this letter to show what one of our future leaders already is thinking about.
Colonel Robert "Lightning" Freniere, U.S. Air Force
Dear Vice Admiral Keating,
I wanted to talk to you about something very important to me and to other people in the United States. I wanted to let you know how getting rid of the F-14 Tomcat will affect the war on terror and the way it will affect the Navy. I think that it is not a good idea to get rid of it. If you get rid of it you will probably not get anymore new pilots in the Navy. I have been hearing that the Tomcat is one of the best airplanes that the Navy ever has had from the people that I know in the Navy, and also from my friends, too. I heard from my cousin and his Navy friends and people in the Pentagon that the F-18 only carries one bomb, and it isn't as good as the Tomcat. It also can't go as far as the Tomcat, and once the Hornet gets in the air it has to refuel and it comes back with unused bombs. But the Tomcat carries everything: Mavericks, Sidewinders, Phoenix missiles, AIM-120s, Mark-82s, Mark-83s, and other good stuff that has a big impact on the enemy. The B-52 Stratofortress was made in the 1950s and the Air Force says that it is going to be in service for another 30 years from what I have heard in the Air Force magazines I read (I also read Navy magazines, so don't get jealous), I just had a couple of my friends say to me they can't believe that they're getting rid of the Tomcat. They went nuts; they hated it. I don't know if you can do anything about this, but if you can, please do as much as you can. I will even join the Navy, if I have to, to make this work. I know you guys in the Navy are getting Super Hornets, which is good. But if you guys get rid of the Tomcat it will affect the war on terror—big time. Even though I'm not in the Navy, I know it will have an effect. Oh, and I almost forgot, you will have a bunch of disappointed and mad pilots. I love the Tomcat and the F/A-18, and I still think they will make a great team together fighting in the war on terror and the other wars I hope we don't have to fight. The Navy probably will have to get rid of Top Gun as well. Well, I hope that you enjoy your new command job; that must be hard but fun. Go win the war on terror. Oh, I would be honored if you could send me some Tomcat patches.
Your Future Navy Pilot,
Bobby Freniere
Bobby Freniere is a 7th grader in Burtonsville, Maryland. He will be awarded his Star Scout badge this fall. Colonel Freniere is the branch chief at the Joint Wargaming Headquarters, U.S. Air Force.