The problem is not that the AF is a separate branch, it's that the people in charge may not be close enough to their "customers".
Most of the time, the job of the AF is to support ground forces, bombing and strafing the enemy and preventing the enemy from bombing and strafing our guys. What's needed is for the careers of AF guys to be more dependent on how well their customers feel they've been supporting them
Good Lord! but there is a lot of stupidity on this thread.
The reason we need an independent Air Force is that the Army is clueless about airpower.
The best employment of CAS is to prevent the Army from ever encountering the enemy. You do this by bombing the enemy BEFORE they become ‘close’. Remember when our troops in Iraq were stuck in a ‘quagmire’? The press said that because our troops were not advancing - but during that ‘lull’, the USAF was pounding the enemy. When our troops started moving forward, their path was clear of main Army units.
Where did I learn this lesson? 3 rotations at NTC.
Ground pounders are not qualified to think on how to employ fast moving aircraft. That’s OK - I wouldn’t want a bunch of Air Force folks in command of a tank unit.
The main job of the USAF has NEVER been to strafe the enemy, nor should it be. CAS is not the main job of the USAF, nor should it be - that is a TERRIBLE way to employ airpower. Marines can get away with it only because the USAF is doing the job for them past the FEBA.
As for Iraq and Afghanistan - in case y’all missed it, the overall commander is an ARMY general. I remember making a Brigade CC pissed when I told him he wouldn’t get air support because he wasn’t the priority.
“Who in the hell are you to tell me that?”
“Sir, that is per the written orders of the DIVISION/CC.”
“Well”, said the Brigade CC, “I’ll be talking with the Division CC tomorrow!”
Two days later, he told the staff to take into account the fact that we were not the priority of effort and that Division assets might not be available...