Air Power in the New COIN Era

[Laxman]

The way this bullet is stated exemplifies part of the problem. There can not be "better" integration with ground forces for close air support (CAS). There can only be perfect coordination. In CAS it is not the jet jockey who is sitting in the firing line of torrential hell and pain. If the Air Force took CAS seriously it would not allow any jet jockey to do CAS until they had been a forward air controller with grunts. Then again that is assuming that the Air Force takes CAS seriously and doesn't assign the bottom of the air plane driver class to A10's and other pretty things...

I'll tag on a little bit to what Entropy has said.

If the Army (not all, just the majority) was a little smarter in doing business, or understood what CAS actually does for it, then CAS integration would become a lot easier. Prejudice inhibits full integration and the prejudice is propagated within its training plan. Also, please find one RCO/BCO that fully understands what a JFO actually brings to the table. More often than not, a JFO usually ends up a cook or is staring at maps in the 2 shop, not out forward where they should be. The Air Force does not help itself with a lack of leaders that deal directly at the DIV / Corps level and help Army COs make sound decisions. The only service that truly has integration with land and air components is the Marines.