How many Marines does it take to lift President Bush?

President Bush paid a visit today to Marine Helicopter Squadron One, known as HMX-1, at its base in Quantico, Va. The unit is responsible for White House helicopter operations -- a role it has played since 1957, when Dwight D. Eisenhower made the first presidential helicopter flight.

Bush was in Quantico to address the current graduating class at the FBI Academy, and made a short detour (by Marine One helicopter, of course) to the Marine Corps Air Station there to thank the Marines and sailors for the eight years of transportation they have provided during his presidency.

In return, the Marines gave him parts of a chopper -- a piece of a tail rotor and a window.

As for the size of the squadron that provides the airlift -- it's slightly more than 700 people.

-- James Gerstenzang

Photo: Tim Sloan / AFP / Getty Images

Comments

[doug]

You certainly can't say that george bush was an ineffective president,
when 9/11 occurred he jumped in, got rid of hussien, invaded iraq and afghanistan, threatened north korea, iran, stood up to russia,
and when the crash occurred he jumped in doing everything possible to rescue america. He is a doer. People like to point fun at him but he did everything possible to protect america from threats real or imagined, within and without,
and macain is of the same nature and has the scars to prove it.

I believe that this country requires less of a 'doer' and more of someone that will take the time to do the right thing.

[Benia]

You're acting like 700 people are pilots. It's mulitple aircraft, all the mechanics and support crew that need to keep those aircraft maintained. I'm sure Obama will cut that squadron down to 50 or so. Right? Cut the military? Cut costs? He'll cut that crew down as a first priority won't he?