Thought this would be interesting for Army and AF types. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/washington/22military.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5087&em&en=e67afc8c0a93436a&ex=1214280000
Given all of the bad press that the AF has gotten over its handling of nuclear weapons, its ability to play nice with other services, and its medical treatment of troops, I'm not surprised that the Army has created its own service.
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the predecessor of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) from 1926-41, which in turn was the forerunner of today's U.S. Air Force (USAF), established in 1947.
This is an example of a few exceptional personell having to go out of their way to make sure the people they care for are being properly protected. Kudos to those that made this happen. Thumbs down to an organization so embroiled in bureaucracy and poor communication that they their mission was compromised. This is exactly the type of incompetence that I encountered as an AF surgeon, and what many here continue to experience. However, I do not think this type of screw up is limited to the AF.
And don't forget: http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/200772711633.asp The Army is getting into the combined arms game; the Navy is getting into the infantry game; the USMC is just trying to get into the game wherever it may be. I'm not real sure what the Air Force does, but they do control the biggest guns and have some awesome fighter jets. As an aside, I went to Elmendorf last year and the (Dormitory???) NCO showed me the new $5000 espresso bar. That is a true story.
The Luftwafte was controlled by the German Army and it was crushed by the RAF, a separate entity, in the Battle of Britain, partially due to its structure. The origin of our air force can be directly attributed to Britain's success in that critical battle.
The air force requires that their UAVs be flown by flight qualified officers. The army has NCOs fly those bad boys.... I agree with the statements about Navy/USMC aviators bringing fast movers closer to the ground than the Air Force. It all goes back to their mentality though. USAF flyboys dont like being on/near the ground. USMC pretty much forces many of their pilots to do ANGLICO tours on the ground with units in theatre. It puts a much more realistic idea in their heads of the ground situations. Later on, they are better equipped (experience-wise) through their experiences to support ground missions. Recent shake-ups in USAF command and maybe more on the way show that Sec Gates is not happy with the friction from USAF. Sec Gates words to the AirForce play true for all of us in the profession of arms: "Do Something, Not Be Somebody".
Yeah, but who had the best navy? The US, largely b/c that unlike the british, our Navy had their own air force. Whereas the british air force was supposed to supply planes to the navy's aircraft carriers. No one is saying that we shouldn't have an air force though.
Hermann Göring established the Luftwaffe in 1935 as ordered by Adolf Hitler. Although it was an arm of the Wehrmacht (which was the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945, of which the army was a part), it was its own entity and was not controlled by the German army. Hermann Göring was the founder and commander of the Luftwaffe and was also second in command of the Third Reich. The army was subordinate to the commander of the air force, not the other way around. The RAF defeated the Luftwaffe because England had radar. The U.S. Air Force does indeed kick a$$ though! I agree completely with the rest of the stuff ActiveDutyMD said.
