Have to comment on this one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
120mm
The current AF moves remind me of a "####bird", who spends the 30 days prior to his OER, "apple-polishing" for the boss, in order to make up for not doing his own job all along. To say that because the rest of us can see through the USAF's b.s. and critize their misdirected efforts, isn't the same as saying "that there are many out there who, for whatever reason, will criticize the service no matter what it does."
I obviously disagree with this on a fundamental level, but I don't really think it matters what evidence is cited - some folks will just feel the way they feel.
Using the logic above, you could also apply your comment on the "not doing your job all along" to the Army's COIN doctrine at the start of OIF phase IV, and the correction made more recently.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
120mm
So the question remains: "How come the Air Force isn't hounding Congress to fund their COIN CAS aircraft, exportable air-transportable hospital packages and additional funds for cargo airframes?" The answer, I believe, is that no matter how many airmen they put on perimeter or convoy security, is that the USAF doesn't give a stroke and a crap about the current fight.
The AF has a stated requirement for more C-17s, just like it does for more F-22s. Unfortunately the civilian bosses get to decide what the services ask Congress for.
As for the USAF caring, I'm sorry you feel that way. I know the folks who I work with are well aware and all do care- almost every unit has someone deployed to the AOR. One of my two NCOs got mortared twice yesterday at Balad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
120mm
And don't get me wrong: We need either the F-22, or a much larger Air Force flying less capable planes, for the possibility of a larger, more conventional conflict.
I'm not trying to say the AF and Army are committed at the same level - but as you just said, the AF is having to hedge against a lot of potential nastiness in the not so distant future. Would you rather the AF buy a COIN aircraft in great numbers and let China or Iran be able to use SA-20s to prevent us from deterring them, or do the COIN role with Predator, Reaper, A-10, F-16s, and B-1s? Until the budgets are increased it unfortunately is close to a zero sum game. Again, it's kind of like asking why the Army is asking for FCS and not a purpose built COIN system of systems. The entire military is forced to balance future high end threats against the current coin fight.
I'm not looking to start a big arguement here. Just pointing out that you can make similar arguements about any service.
V/R,
Cliff
Based on watching inter service rivalry for
many more years than I care to recall, I think you've really summarized the problem very well:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Steve Blair
A great deal of this has to do with how the AF tends to present itself to the public and other services...
I don't think anyone is saying that the AF doesn't do good things. But it's important that the AF (like any other branch) stop from time to time and try to see itself as others see them...
Attitude...
One can be arrogant and dismissive (see me for an example ;) ) but one has to be prepared to take the flak for doing so. To come on strong is fine; to whine about being called for it invites derision...
Air Force must do more for war, Gates says
Quote:
Pentagon chief: Getting aircraft to Iraq, Afghanistan 'like pulling teeth'
Article is here
Having been a fly on the wall at air force bases...
I think we're underestimating the degree of internal conflict in the Air Force. The message from the top is "Everything begins and ends with F-22". When was the last time you saw an AF graphic that didn't have an F-22 in it? When you get down to the Majors and Captains, you'll actually hear advocates for real jointness, as opposed to Douhet/H.G. Wells/Billy Mitchell's Air Power for COIN (but at heart, the old school folks' loyalty lies with the fighter community that emerged during Viet Nam).
As an institution, the Air Force does not value what they provide for the greatest value-added in COIN; comm, airlift, and ISR (I'm not denigrating the firepower, but for COIN, firepower in the sky is secondary to comm, airlift, and ISR from above). If we can get a generation of AF generals who don't kowtow irrationally to their own divinity as zipper-suited sungods, the problem will resolve itself. But as it stands, their fantasy of gun kills in dogfights is as rational as the really old school Navy vision of capitol ships duking it out. Dogfighting and battleships trying to cross the T might be relevant someday, but not in the near future given current geopolitics and technology.
Don't get me wrong, we'd have a lot more trouble with the current conflict without the capabilities the Air Force brings to the fight, I just wish their COLs and BGs would see that.
Oh, and Umar- for cost cutting, why do general officers in the air force maintain their flight status? Just the flight hours so they can fly is hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, it keeps them from doing the things Generals really should be doing, and it keeps the Lieutenants and Captains out of the airframes they should be current on. Put 'em in Cessnas from the Aeroclubs and Civil Air Patrol if they want flight hours.
Tidbits from the SecDef...
"These new realities and missions should be reflected in our training and doctrine. The Air Force will be increasingly called upon to conduct civil-military or humanitarian operations with interagency and nongovernmental organizations and partners and deal directly with local populations."
"All this may require rethinking long-standing service assumptions and priorities about which missions require certified pilots and which do not."
Who knows, perhaps our next air-to-air combat ace will be a senior airman (the horror!). :D
So the SECDEF got their attention (somewhat)
A lot of chatter among the air guys about the efficacy of a prop airplane. In truth, props are bad, it would be much better to mod F-15s to run at a coupla hundred bucks per operational hour instead of whatever it costs now. The mods should also allow maintenance by largely illiterate populations with materials readily at hand.
As far as "BPC" goes, don't worry about it. Some enterprising company will step up to fill the void. Blackwater is already active in the air world; wouldn't take much to develop a core of contractors to advise HN air forces (or Army Air Corps in countries who keep the relationship in order.)
That way, OUR air force could fly air superiority missions against ...um..
To understand the present . . .
. . .it quite often helps to look at the past. I am currently reading Lee Kennett's The First Air War 1914-1918. I heartily recommend it to those who are trying to figure out where the attitude and culture of the worlds' air forces come from. We have not heard from our non-American readership about the other air forces of the world, but I suspect their reports would not be that different. Kennett has some interesting discussion that I find explains much of it quite handily. But, I suspect there is more to this as well.
While working in a strategic intelligence unit that was a tenant in USAREUR, my troops and I were treated by the folks from 7th Army units with an attitude similar to that expressed here by ground forces types about the air arm. On an almost daily basis we were subjected to comments like "get a haircut" and "try sleeping in a tent for a change." My troops would be jerked awake at 0500 (after working a second shift and getting back at about 0100) by Jodies about them "sleeping in," yelled by the neighboring FA Bn's batteries as they ran by in their PT formations. I suspect some part of it was envy/sour grapes on the part of the FA and Armor guys that we affectionately referred to as "treads." And, within our joint organization, interestingly enough, the Army INSCOM folks made similar snide comments about the Air Force and Navy personnel worked along side us. My point here is that some of the attitude expressed by members of the junior service may be a defense mechanism while some is simply an expression of group rivalry.