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Abolish the Air Force
The American Prospect ^ | Nov. 1, 2007 | Robert Farley

Posted on 11/02/2007 1:36:49 PM PDT by DesScorp

Does the United States Air Force (USAF) fit into the post–September 11 world, a world in which the military mission of U.S. forces focuses more on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency? Not very well. Even the new counterinsurgency manual authored in part by Gen. David H. Petraeus, specifically notes that the excessive use of airpower in counterinsurgency conflict can lead to disaster.

In response, the Air Force has gone on the defensive. In September 2006, Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap Jr. published an article in Armed Forces Journal denouncing "boots on the ground zealots," and insisting that airpower can solve the most important problems associated with counterinsurgency. The Air Force also recently published its own counterinsurgency manual elaborating on these claims. A recent op-ed by Maj. Gen. Dunlap called on the United States to "think creatively" about airpower and counterinsurgency -- and proposed striking Iranian oil facilities.

Surely, this is not the way the United States Air Force had planned to celebrate its 60th anniversary. On Sept. 18, 1947, Congress granted independence to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), the branch of the U.S. Army that had coordinated the air campaigns against Germany and Japan.

But it's time to revisit the 1947 decision to separate the Air Force from the Army. While everyone agrees that the United States military requires air capability, it's less obvious that we need a bureaucratic entity called the United States Air Force. The independent Air Force privileges airpower to a degree unsupported by the historical record. This bureaucratic structure has proven to be a continual problem in war fighting, in procurement, and in estimates of the costs of armed conflict. Indeed, it would be wrong to say that the USAF is an idea whose time has passed. Rather, it's a mistake that never should have been made.

(Excerpt) Read more at prospect.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Miscellaneous; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: force; military; navair; usaf; war
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To: DesScorp
Does the United States Air Force (USAF) fit into the post–September 11 world, a world in which the military mission of U.S. forces focuses more on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency?

Seems to me it did pretty well in Aghanistan and the capture of Iraq. Remember Shock and Awe?

Made up for precisely what we DON'T have in sufficient numbers: Boots on the ground.

Absent the air power, the US ground forces would have been in seriously adverse fights.

Now in the glow of victory, the actual basis of those victories is going down the memory hole...as the temporary expediencies of the moment demand short-sighted political squeaky-wheel greasing.

And let me tell you, there is no ground role for a fight against the Red Chinese. And that fight is coming and SOON.

We need to keep that fight purely at sea and in the air.

No role whatsoever for any ground pounders.

141 posted on 11/02/2007 3:16:20 PM PDT by Paul Ross (Ronald Reagan-1987:"We are always willing to be trade partners but never trade patsies.")
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To: SAMWolf

LOL. Geez I sure do miss the Foxhole.


142 posted on 11/02/2007 3:16:30 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul. WWPD (what would Patton do))
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To: vigilence
Historically we are perpetually guity of planning future war(s) based upon the parameters of the current/last one. To scrap the USAF now because it doesn’t play a dominant role in the day to day battles of the War on Terror fails to account for the next possible war. It’s akin to saying “since all I’m doing is plumbing jobs I should scrap all of my automotive tools”. The USAF is a tool to be used for the right job ie: deterring Russian revisionism and nationalism (just to name one instance). Scrapping the B-1, B-2, B-52 etc. in favour of more A-10’s would only limit the number of arrows in our quiver. Besides, who was it that softened up Iraq’s vaunted Republican Guard so Swartzkoff and the Army could win the 100 hour war in the early ‘90’s?

BUMP!

143 posted on 11/02/2007 3:18:39 PM PDT by Paul Ross (Ronald Reagan-1987:"We are always willing to be trade partners but never trade patsies.")
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To: donnab

Hi donnab,

Which aircraft does your son work on? I also was an AF crew chief albeit many years ago on the now defunct F100s and the F111. It would appear from this thread that, although things on the flightline may have changed tremendously, the inter-Services rivalry has not.


144 posted on 11/02/2007 3:25:18 PM PDT by Muleteam1
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To: ODC-GIRL; SIDENET
That's excellent news, ODC-GIRL. I think the biggest issue has always been interoperability between two services that operate in the same battlespace and share a mission in a way they don't with the Navy. Poor response time has always been the biggest gripe, and the A-10, with it's greater loiter time and ability to make use of less "improved" runways goes a long way to address that.

I definitely see your point, SIDENET, and when I think about it, it probably would be inefficient to tie fixed-wing units to a Brigade Combat Team. You can't argue, though, that the Air Force hasn't downplayed its Close Air Support role over the years, though it does seem that that has begin to change over the last 6 years.

Also, I certainly don't want to give the impression that I would like to see the Air Force merged with the Army. The two services require different institutional cultures. I also certainly don't believe the Air Force's strategic role ought to be downplayed, any more than I think its CAS role should be. I just think you want to see as much interoperability, unity of command, and unity of effort as possible within the same battlespace.
145 posted on 11/02/2007 3:27:25 PM PDT by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country.... Valor.)
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To: DesScorp

“To a man, my Army friends, past and present, think USAF does a lousy job of air support in ground combat situations because they think the mission isn’t sexy enough.”

That is one narrow area among Air Force responsibilities. If that mission isn’t being performed well, then focus on improved training or whatever else it takes. However, there are so many other areas where Air Force responsibilities have nothing to do with the Army that making the Air Force ‘subservient’ to the Army makes no sense whatever. (Also, as an aside, precision weapons largely remove the need for ‘close’ air support.)

One of the main reasons for splitting the services in the first place was to allow the Air Force to innovate more freely. The Army hasn’t historically been noted for original thinking.


146 posted on 11/02/2007 3:27:29 PM PDT by PreciousLiberty
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To: ravingnutter

“I say abolish DesScorp, tie him to the hip of this liberal author, throw them into ground combat and then watch them beg the AF for cover.”

The author isn’t that liberal...as I noted, he’s posted similar ideas at The Weekly Standard. And my opinion stands...while we shouldn’t completely abolish USAF, we should abolish some of its independence.


147 posted on 11/02/2007 3:31:17 PM PDT by DesScorp
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To: Natural Law

Well said! I was Army, and I think it would be a mistake to abolish the AF.


148 posted on 11/02/2007 3:32:22 PM PDT by oneamericanvoice (Support freedom! Support the troops! Surrender is not an option!)
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To: snippy_about_it

Air Force vs Army implementation of the
“Burnout Prevention Program”

1. STOP DENYING.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Listen to the wisdom of your body. Begin to freely admit the stresses and pressures which you have manifested physically, mentally, or emotionally. Meditate even more frequently.

ARMY VIEW: Work until the physical pain forces you into unconsciousness, then you can’t hear your body.

2. AVOID ISOLATION.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Don’t do everything alone! Develop or renew intimacies with friends and loved ones. Closeness not only brings new insights, but also is anathema to agitation and depression.

ARMY VIEW: Shut your office door and lock it from the inside so no one will distract you. They’re just trying to hurt your productivity.

3. CHANGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

AIR FORCE VIEW: If your job, your relationship, a situation, or a person is dragging you under, try to alter your circumstance, or if necessary, leave.

ARMY VIEW: If you feel something is dragging you down, suppress these thoughts. This is a weakness. Drink more coffee.

4. DIMINISH INTENSITY IN YOUR LIFE.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Pinpoint those areas or aspects which summon up the most concentrated intensity and work toward alleviating that pressure.

ARMY VIEW: Increase intensity. Maximum intensity = maximum productivity. If you find yourself relaxed and with your mind wandering, you are probably
having a detrimental effect on the recovery rate.

5. STOP OVERNURTURING.

AIR FORCE VIEW: If you routinely take on other people’s problems and responsibilities, learn to gracefully disengage. Try to get some nurturing for yourself.

ARMY VIEW: Always attempt to do everything. You ARE responsible for it all. Perhaps you haven’t thoroughly read your job description.

6. LEARN TO SAY “NO”.

AIR FORCE VIEW: You’ll help diminish intensity by speaking up for yourself. This means refusing additional requests or demands on your time or emotions.

ARMY VIEW: Never say no to anything. It shows weakness. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do at midnight.

7. BEGIN TO BACK OFF AND DETACH.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Learn to delegate, not only at work, but also at home and with friends. In this case, detachment means rescuing yourself for yourself.

ARMY VIEW: Delegating is a sign of weakness. If you want it done right, do it yourself (see #5).

8. REASSESS YOUR VALUES.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Try to sort out the meaningful values from the temporary and fleeting, the essential from the nonessential. You’ll conserve energy and time, and begin to feel more centered.

ARMY VIEW: Stop thinking about your own problems. This is selfish. If your values change, we will make an announcement. Until then, if someone calls you and questions your priorities, tell them that you are unable to comment on this and give them the number for PAO. It will be taken care of.

9. LEARN TO PACE YOURSELF.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Try to take life in moderation. You only have so much energy available. Ascertain what is wanted and needed in your life, then begin to balance work with love, pleasure, and relaxation.

ARMY VIEW: A balanced life is a myth perpetuated by liberal arts schools. Don’t be a fool: the only thing that matters is work and productivity.

10. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Don’t skip meals, abuse yourself with rigid diets, disregard your need for sleep, or miss doctor’s appointments. Take care of yourself nutritionally.

ARMY VIEW: Your body serves your mind, your mind serves the Army. Push the mind and the body will follow.

11. DIMINISH WORRY AND ANXIETY.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Try to keep superstitious worrying to a minimum - it changes nothing. You’ll have a better grip on your situation if you spend less time worrying and more time taking care of your real needs. If necessary,
listen to more Barry Manilow!

ARMY VIEW: If you’re not worrying about work, you must not be very committed to it. We’ll find someone who is.

12. KEEP YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR.

AIR FORCE VIEW: Begin to bring job and happy moments into your life. Very few people suffer burnout when they’re having fun.

ARMY VIEW: So, you think your work is funny? We’ll discuss this with your commander on Friday, at 1900!


149 posted on 11/02/2007 3:32:46 PM PDT by SAMWolf (Do dyslexics sell their souls to Santa?)
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To: DesScorp

This idiot at UofK has never heard of Kasserine Pass in North Africa. US forces got the pee beat out of them because airpower was controlled by ground forces. Each ground commander refused to give up control to accomplish the mission and so it was always too little, too late. Timing is everything and close air support (CAS) can be a real bitch if you don’t have air superiority. It takes years to create a force to ensure air superiority. Russia and China, mainly but Iran, Venezuela and North Korea in short periods would all create challenges. As far as the CAS mission not being sexy enough, units (Active, Air Guard, & Reserve) take a great deal of pride in their accomplishments and missions regardless of whether it is CAS, Counter Air, or Offensive Air Support. Go to the A-10 units and see if they aren’t proud of their mission and past accomplishments. In the past, the same could be said for the A-7, F-100 and even A1E units. In the past fighters needed to visually ID all bogeys before selecting weapons hot. Modern technology has made Beyond Visual Range (BVR) the standard and shooting an enemy in the lips BVR isn’t nearly as challenging (and sexy) as hauling smart bombs downtown through a maze of air defense.


150 posted on 11/02/2007 3:34:54 PM PDT by Portcall24
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To: DesScorp
To a man, my Army friends, past and present, think USAF does a lousy job of air support in ground combat situations because they think the mission isn't sexy enough.

A foul ground-pounding muddy lie! Why very often we in the USAF used to look down there and wonder what our Army colleagues were up to, exactly. And why they wore those hard-to-see-uniforms? Why, in a gesture of military solidarity, we even assigned Forward Air Controllers, very often with radios tuned to our very own frequency, so we could come in at 500mph and drop napalm nearby and get shot up by enemy guys with rifles.

Why during VietNam we even started up the assembly line to build new AD-1's, that 1945 Navy design that was unsurpassed as a ground support plane. Of course, being assigned to them was your career kiss of death, except for General Singlaub.

Then there was the A-10. USAF couldn't wait to get rid of that low, slow, cheap, incredibly effective plane. Sent it to the ANG units and then was embarassed when it did so well in combat and it turned out we had nowhere near enough of them. Let's see, for the cost of one F-35, we could buy what, a 100 A-10's? But then the AC 130 gunship came along. Nowhere enough of them, either.

But why throw out the baby with the bathwater. Why not have an Army Air Corps to fly the A-10s, attack helicopters that they already have, plus some nifty new ground attack plane, and put the AC 130 under Army control full time? Maybe bring back the AD-1 Spad as an Army A/C. Scary and we're talking about direct violations of The Treaty of Key West of 1948, in which the Army promised to give up fixed wing planes, except to fly generals to country clubs and other vital missions.

151 posted on 11/02/2007 3:35:22 PM PDT by Zerodown (Draft Petraeus. Or how about Pace? What do you say we win this one?)
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To: snippy_about_it

In the Ozarks, there was a mountaineer that was reputed to have the best hunting dog ever, by the name of Co-pilot.

Three city folks went up in the mountains and wanted to rent him. “Good huntin dog, ... gonna cost ya $50 a day.” They agreed, and three days later came back with the limit.

The next year they came back. “Co-pilot got better, gonna cost ya $75 a day.” Again they agreed, and 2 days later came back with the limit.

The third year they came back and told the mountaineer they had to have Co-pilot, even if it cost $100 a day.

“You can have that worthless mutt for $5 a day, and I’m overcharging you $4.”

“But I don’t understand, what happened to him?”

“Well, had me one of them Herky crews from that there Air Base in Oakaloosa county come up and rent him. One of those idiots called him Pilot, and he has been sittin on his ass barkin ever since.”


152 posted on 11/02/2007 3:39:44 PM PDT by SAMWolf (Do dyslexics sell their souls to Santa?)
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To: JamesP81

“Yeah, the short sightedness is infuriating. The F-22, for all its sophistication, is a throwback to the old school way of doing things. It’s not one of those multi-role do it all type machines. It’s purpose to hunt enemy aircraft and destroy them with extreme prejudice, and this is the sort of tool we’re going to need to keep the likes of China and Russia off our doorstep. The Iranian’s air force might be a joke, but Russia’s and China’s isn’t and we need to be prepared to deal with them both.”

Actually, though it’s original mission was air dominance, the F-22 can now carry 2 1,000 lb. JDAMs, and will soon be able to carry eight Small Diameter Bombs (each with the destructive force of a conventional 500 lb. bomb). So, in addition to being the premier fighter on the planet, it’s able to deliver precision munitions deep into heavily defended territory at supersonic speeds. Sounds pretty good to me... ;-)


153 posted on 11/02/2007 3:40:00 PM PDT by PreciousLiberty
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To: Muleteam1

F-111’s? You need to update your photo!

(RAF Upper Heyford - 1987-1991)


154 posted on 11/02/2007 3:40:16 PM PDT by Gil4 ("There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism" - Teddy Roosevelt)
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To: SauronOfMordor

“But when bad weather grounds the planes, its the Precision Artillery Team that will save your butt”

Bad weather doesn’t ground planes often these days...the only thing that I know of is very high winds. JDAMS work day or night, rain or shine...and land right where the troops on the ground say they should.

We don’t need CAS, we need ‘bomb trucks’ orbiting at 15,000+ ft.


155 posted on 11/02/2007 3:41:45 PM PDT by PreciousLiberty
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To: SAMWolf

Ha!


156 posted on 11/02/2007 3:42:36 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul. WWPD (what would Patton do))
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To: The Pack Knight
They've always considered strategic bombing and interdiction to be a much higher priority.

The first priority of air power is counter-air. You can't fly for anybody if your planes are at the bottom of a smoking hole.

The second priority of air power is interdiction. If the enemy can't get to the battlefield, there is no need for close air support.

The third priority of air power is close air support. CAS should always be service-specific as in the Marine Corps model. Frankly, that is the only part of the Air Force mission that the Army wants to take back from the Air Force.

The final priority of air power is strategic bombing. The Army and Navy have never been keen on taking this role from the Air Force.

And none of those addresses strategic missile defense, air transport, aerial refueling, and space warfare. Those last three elements are not done by anybody but the Air Force, and none of the other services want anything to do with them.

157 posted on 11/02/2007 3:42:57 PM PDT by been_lurking
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To: snippy_about_it

Rules Of The Air

Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.

If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again.

Flying isn’t dangerous. Crashing is what’s dangerous.

It’s always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here.

The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire.

The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, you can actually watch the pilot start sweating.

When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No one has ever collided with the sky.

A ‘good’ landing is one from which you can walk away. A ‘great’ landing is one after which they can use the plane again.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You won’t live long enough to make all of them yourself.

You know you’ve landed with the wheels up if it takes full power to taxi to the ramp.

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival. Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice versa.

Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn’t get to five minutes earlier.

Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.

Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you’ve made.


158 posted on 11/02/2007 3:44:21 PM PDT by SAMWolf (Do dyslexics sell their souls to Santa?)
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To: SIDENET

Golf is restricted to Lt. Cols and above.


159 posted on 11/02/2007 3:44:32 PM PDT by Zerodown (Draft Petraeus. Or how about Pace? What do you say we win this one?)
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To: SAMWolf

Best one.

ARMY: If your values change, we will make an announcement.


160 posted on 11/02/2007 3:44:41 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul. WWPD (what would Patton do))
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