Steve, this is an interesting comment:

They (again a collective "they" that refers more to the vocal air power advocates) view warfare as a total activity, with nothing off limits or out of bounds.
Rather than assume I understand what you are saying, could you elaborate please?

Tom,

I mean really, an Air Force General feels compelled to explain the Air Force to us ground pounders?
You might be surprised how little some AF people understand the Army or Marines. Perhaps some sort of explanation of those cultures might be beneficial to those airmen moving into a joint environment. They are distinctly different. I had a hell of a time with some issues when I first came in the AF. I saw everything through a Marine Corps lense because it is what I knew. The egalitarian example he provides is a prime example. Another is the differences in NCOs, which has been discussed on some other thread.