Disbanding the Air Force!?

[ZigZag911]

them. They're special.

If anything, the AF should be doing more of the flying, and the other services worrying more about their specialties. Army rotor wing, while important, has no reason to be with the Army when it could be done with the AF. All the services are supposed to play together well anyway, right? Leave the air component in the AF.

Naval air force projection is a highly specialized capability...one we're not likely to see USAF get into.

As for USAF handling Army rotary wing missions, the entire reason Army Aviation developed was because the AF of the late 40s through early 60s wanted no part of anything that served in a 'ground troop support' role....they wanted jet bombers, jet fighters, and missiles...period.

Hence Army Aviation, which essentially is their 'air attack' arm.

[Walkman]

I don't know if this is completely true, but I've been told be a NG recruiter and a Marine that my son who wants to be an AF fighter pilot has a better chance of flying in all of the other branches than the AF. So far I'm taking it with a grain of salt since they're trying to recruit him. Although I have found it odd that the Navy seems to fly so much, I would have thought that the AF would fly from Navy ships, the way the Marines deploy from them. Branches working together...

Seems to me that all this hypothesizing is pretty far off. I can only imagine that the decision to overhaul the entire armed forces would only happen on the tails of some massive and huge negative occurance. just my 2¢...

[afgeo4]

The Air Force offers the DoD certain specialization that other branches just cannot deliver.

First of all... the USAF has global reach. Yes, the Navy can cover the oceans and seas given enough time for their ships to reach the destination and given that those ships will be allowed to enter the waters without challenge. A journey from Norfolk/San Diego to the Indian Ocean would take many days while it only takes hours for a flight of B-1s, B-52s or B-2s to get from their bases in CONUS to say... Diego Garcia. Those USAF bombers are able to cover the entire world with those munitions. Just say where. Why? Because the USAF has long range heavy bombers. Navy does not and cannot since those bombers and most other USAF aircraft cannot take off from carriers. They simply weren't designed for it.

Second... the USAF ensures global reach. Sure, the Navy F-18 can fly far and attack hard, but it probably won't make it there without refueling and aside from minor refueling work of S-3 Vikings which can help out if you're close to a carrier and joker fuel, you need the support of USAF tankers which can fly anywhere in the world and loiter in the area for hours on end, looking for customers. It is the USAF's heavy KC-10 Extenders and KC-135 Stratotankers that allow for current operational ability and reach of Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and NATO fixed wing aircraft. Sorry, I didn't mention the C-130 tanker guys, but that job is also done by Marines, so it's not exclusive to USAF.

Third... Global Mobility. The USAF is the only service with the ability to move other services timely, efficiently and globally. No other service has intercontinental reach when it comes to air mobility. It takes the Navy and the civillian fleet weeks to load, carry, and unload stores and equipment and although it is very cost efficient, it just isn't able to keep up with today's combat demands on time. Today's combat happens in hours and days, not months and years. With a strong fleet of C-5s, C-17s, and C-130s, the USAF is able to move the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and anyone else with lightning speed, precision, and most importantly, safety.

Add to that the fact that USAF has almost exclusive control over cybercombat, space operations, and unmanned systems and you have many reasons why USAF should remain its own branch.

[mikeylikey]

them. They're special.

If anything, the AF should be doing more of the flying, and the other services worrying more about their specialties. Army rotor wing, while important, has no reason to be with the Army when it could be done with the AF. All the services are supposed to play together well anyway, right? Leave the air component in the AF.

Naval air force projection is a highly specialized capability...one we're not likely to see USAF get into.

As for USAF handling Army rotary wing missions, the entire reason Army Aviation developed was because the AF of the late 40s through early 60s wanted no part of anything that served in a 'ground troop support' role....they wanted jet bombers, jet fighters, and missiles...period.

Hence Army Aviation, which essentially is their 'air attack' arm.

Agreed!  Plus, are AF pilots really joining to fly helicopters?  NO....

Anyway.....with the latest round of BRAC.....we have seen the DOD say "AF you will NOW support the Army by locating your planes at projection platform locations".  POPE and Fort Bragg is one example.  Joint bases are going to be the common scene within 20 years.

[riffraff]

Having flown both USAF and US Army (80% of my time Army), here's my tongue-in-cheek, semi-serious opinion (aka, my $.02). Disbanding the USAF would be a superb idea for the following reasons:

1. USAF has never come to terms with their separation from the Army. The constant uniform changes in a never-ending effort to look "less Army" has now come full circle. Is anyone buying the new service uniform as somehow being Air Force? USAF should go the last few steps and adopt the old pinks-and-greens Army uniform.

2. Due to the anxieties of 1, USAF went so far to become less Army that they actually came close to being near-Navy (Oh that McPeak uniform was truly something, wasn't it?).

3. If they merge with the Army, they'll get to wear winged-props again and be reintroduced to all those vulgar and unsavory traditions they left behind with the Army when USAF decided to become a world of civilized gentlemen. :angel:

4. Per #3, newly corrupted, former USAF types would regain their lust for blowing things up, moving mud, and generally making nuisances of themselves on the battlefield and in local bars. Yes, you might even get to shoot down a few planes in the process or at least get to run the base commanders pants up the flagpole.

5. Yes. All this could be done by simply adding the "A" back in the name -- USAF becomes USAAF again. Think of it!

6. Lest you think the days of old were gone forever. Rest assured that Army Aviation has continued the hard-fighting, hard-drinking traditions that made the USAAF what it was!

In retrospect, maybe all services should be merged with the Army. The Army has more aircraft than the USAF and more ships than the Navy! 

No animals were harmed in the forming of this opinion. And yes, it's a joke. All branches of the service do a [darn] fine job.

[jasonmc]

I say...

...let the Air Force be taken over by the Navy. Then, we will be the US Navel Auxiliary and we will have to install tailhooks nosehooks on our 172s and practice carrier operations!

Speaking of short takoffs and landings...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppC1JqOy7YM&NR=1