A lot of the work done in toughest combat areas of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanastan was done by Air Force special ops, combat control teams, forward air controllers, and pilots.
I spent three years in a mobile radar unit and we lived in the same conditions as the Army. We lived in tents, ate C-Rats and MREs, and stayed in the field for 179 days at a time. I spent another six years in the Rapid Deployment Forces and deployed to the middle east and lived in tents over there, too.
I had friends who were combat controllers, para-rescuers, and MOB members who went deeper into enemy controlled areas than any Army units, except for the special operators.