Sir, - Your report (The Irish Times, November 2nd) on the latest twist in the 30-year saga of pilot shortages in the Air Corps is, if accurately reported, disturbing.
The use by the Department of Defence of such a pejorative expression as "loyalty payment" is a gratuitous and sneering insult to every serving, retired and deceased member of the Air Corps.
To suggest that some form of payment is demanded in order to secure the loyalty of any officer of the Air Corps is outrageous. Unlike the Department official quoted, I and every officer, man and woman of the Air Corps have sworn on oath to be faithful to Ireland and loyal to the Constitution.
Do not equate me or my recently deceased comrades with some supermarket customer. - Yours, etc.,
John O'Brien, (Lt-Col, Air Corps), Casement Air Base, Baldonnel, Dublin 22.