A new Air Control policy?

[LawVol]

Gentlemen,
As a serving USAF officer and graduate of the USMC SAW I am concerned that your posts misunderstand the service's corporate viewpoint on the relevancy of airpower to the COIN fight. Take a look at Frank Hoffman's link posted 6 Aug to MGen Peck's article, "Airpower’s Crucial Role in Irregular Warfare." MGen Peck provides statistics showing airlift moved over 1M personnel and 90K pallets of cargo using 50K airlift sorties last year in OIF/OEF. USAF strategic and tactical airlift sorties overwhelmingly outnumber air-to-ground strike missions in support of worldwide operations in OIF/OEF. While, in my opinion, MGen Peck's article is still too focused on the kinetic effects of airpower in the COIN fight, the characterization of USAF senior leaders as focusing exclusively on how to get 'fast movers' into the fight is specious. Though published on a USAF website, I'm sure you noticed that the article you are basing your discussion upon was not written by a USAF officer and the only quote provided from a USAF officer related how the Army sometimes wished there was more combat power overhead. The service's evolving COIN/IW doctrine is much more nuanced and covers a broader spectrum of conflict than your discussion reflects.

It is true that the article we are discussing in this thread was not written by an Air Force officer. It is also irrelevant. The COIN fight is driven as much by perception as anything else. If the hearts and minds we are trying to win over believe that we are too quick to drop bombs, then we are not winning the fight.

The airlift statistics you mention are notable, but how much of that is committed to humanitarian-type missions that will assist in winning over the populous? Given the increase in troops for the surge, I would expect airlift to increase and this certainly has apparently had a positive effect. However, I believe that we overemphasize kinetic effects to our detriment.

That being said, welcome aboard. Although I tend to see COIN in the same light as many of the regulars here, I try to keep them in line when they do an AF pile on. (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=2131 ) It'll be nice to have some help.