When the Defense Department created the Military Air Transport Service eight years ago, the Pentagon concluded hopefully that a consolidated airlift arm would end interservice transport duplication once and for all. It was a hollow hope, soon reverberating with echoes of Navy "logistic" transports and the Air Force's own private transports independently zooming off in all directions.
Last week Defense Secretary Charlie Wilson decided to try again, whipped off a directive placing MATS under a "single manager" (Air Force Secretary Donald Quarles), and at the same time increasing the present MATS aircraft strength from 534 to 717. New planes will come from...