MISSION IMPROBABLE: They didn’t see this coming. Just as the services were breathing a little easier with fresh money from Congress for spare parts and maintenance operations to begin to restore the readiness of their crippled aviation squadrons, the big guy issued orders to march in double time. On Tuesday, news broke that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a memo last month to the Air Force and Navy departments giving them just 12 months to get 80 percent of their fighter jets fit for combat.

While no one is complaining publicly, several of the players in the tactical aviation units I talked to yesterday indicated that Mattis’ tall order may be a tad unrealistic. “Up to now our talking point has been that it took us years to get into this problem, it’s going to take years to get out,” said one officer who asked not to be identified. “We’re in a big hole,” said another.

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