You know, I'm kind of curious about all this myself. On my way back from the Middle East, my unit flew Delta Airlines which I found somewhat strange, having read an article in Stars and Stripes discussing their filing for Chapter 11 a short time prior.

On top of that, two of my buddies went on R&R about five months ago. They had a very interesting landing at an Air Force base in Germany in which their landing gear failed to open and they skidded to a stop. The (Delta) aircraft was so totalled that it couldn't even be towed off the runway and they exited via emergency doors.

Their expected one-day holdover in Germany as a result of that turned into 4 when the engine and wing of the aircraft (also Delta) that was supposed to pick them up in Germany caught fire several minutes after departing from Atlanta. And yet, despite the government's best efforts, they eventually survived the trip.

I wish I was lying.