…to help him pretend he’s a rockstar.

President Obama’s European visit this week has strained Air Force heavy-airlift capabilities and obliged the military to hire more foreign contractors to help resupply U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, according to military sources.

The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential visit, said two military officials familiar with the issue.

But hey, it’s not like the military has better things to do…

The airlift crunch comes at a particularly difficult time, as the military is stepping up deliveries of supplies in advance of a surge of 21,000 U.S. troops.

A surge that Obama himself ordered.

One official said the problem was not only the vehicles and helicopters that were needed for presidential security, but also the unusually large number of people traveling with the president.

Every good rockstar’s got to have an entourage, right? I wonder if the Community Organizer in Chief has an aide walk behind him with a boombox blaring some theme music too.

And while you’re watching your tax dollars being pissed away on wasteful spending, here’s another item to add to the list…

The official said U.S. taxpayers are paying twice for airlift, once for Air Force jets that are not available for a war zone and again for foreign contractor aircraft that are.

It’s hard livin’ like a rockstar, beyotch.