Caldera Resigns Over Air Force One Photo Op Mishap

An Air Force presidential airplane flies over the Statue of Liberty on April 27, 2009.

Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, resigned Friday in the wake of the furor over an Air Force jet's photo shoot over New York City April 27, the White House announced.

In addition, President Obama asked his deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates or his designee "to jointly review the organizational structure of the White House Military Office and the reporting relationship of its components to the White House and the Air Force, to make recommendations to him to ensure that such an incident never occurs again," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

An internal review of the incident found that Caldera didn't pay much attention to the evolving details of the flyover and failed to make sure that the public was informed of it in advance.

Many New Yorkers were frightened by the flyover and believed it might be another terrorist attack like the ones on 9/11. Some evacuated buildings as the 747 jumbo jet, which is designated as Air Force One when the president is aboard, and an Air Force fighter escort flew low over the Manhattan area in an effort to get publicity pictures with the Statue of Liberty and other landmarks as backgrounds. The White House released one such photo, of the plane flying over the Statue of Liberty. The cost of the 747's flight has been estimated at $329,000.

In his resignation letter to Obama, Caldera said, "I have concluded that the controversy surrounding the Presidential Airlift Group's aerial photo shoot over New York City has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office. Moreover, it has become a distraction to the important work you are doing as president. After much reflection, I believe it is incumbent on me to tender my resignation and step down as director of the White House Military Office."