Letters: Congress should speed F-35s to SC

The head of the Air Force Air Combat, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, told Air Force Times he is nearly ready to OK deployment of the F-35, meaning this advanced jet fighter is nearly ready to help us carry the fight to ISIS.

The F-35 has already been approved for Marine training and combat. The Beaufort Marine Air Station houses one F-35 training squadron; plans call for another, plus two operational squadrons.

Early deployment speeds the pace with which military leaders decide whether and how McEntire Joint National Guard Base and Shaw Air Force Base get F-35 squadrons of their own. Congress should authorize F-35s at a rate that ensures Shaw and McEntire receive these fighters sooner rather than later.

Gen. Carlisle said our jet fighters today are more than 30 years old. That’s about to change, and South Carolina is at the forefront.