I think the "Trade Bait" angle is pretty valid.
When I first got in to the Forces as a very junior Air Force Tech, a lot of the engine spares from the VooDoo,(J-57?)were being sold into the Natural Gas Pumping system, for moving Natural Gas across the country, as they ran very well on the Gas itself, and, because they were not subject to the cycle of starting and stopping, or any airworthiness concerns, they had a VERY long life in service. Lots of the VooDoo Engine Techs retired out into the Oilpatch.