Folks,

This discussion has raged on for a while on this thread, but what is the point. This is not a discussion of air vs ground power it is a discussion of AF vs USA/USMC rice bowls.

Should we not be discussing the need for and interoperatbility of air and ground units? Having been a company commander and FSC calling in JDAM from a B52 I see the validity of precision munitions called by 'precision guided' infantry. Why is this discussion not more about the values and means of intigration of the 4 services, the ability to cross talk and to assist each others missions? There will always be overlap and some conflict in rice bowl type issues yet this arguement should focus more on ways to balance the forces.

The 4 services exist, they have assigned missions. The question is what of those missions need to change to face emerging threats? How much airpower and how much ground? What new concepts can be adapted?

A constabulary force is a good idea, but who wants to pay for it, to recruit it and man it? Is it a realistic goal?

If you follow this thread you'd notice reference to the AF having no real recruiting issues, how would that change (and it would) if they suddenly starting selling an infantry force? This is not AF bashing it is a legit question. How many current blue suits would be willing to lateral move into this new job? I know that when the AF was overmanned by nearly 30k a few years back and the offer of lateral moves to the Army was sent out not many took advantage despite large $ bonuses offered. Again this isn't a slam on the AF it is just that people join the AF for different reasons (excluding Patriotism, Pride and Selfless Service which all services share) than they join the Army, Navy and Marines.

All I am saying is that this parochial argument about who should own what space is not productive, not here anyway. That is a political issue more than anything. We should focus on more tangible arguements, once we can discuss how to fight in new and better ways then we should go back and look at what institutions should be altered, ammended etc. This may sound naive to some but if we are truly trying to find better ways of engaging our common enemy we need to focus on combined arms and balanced attacks.

-T