Saw an awesome looking book from University of Cinn? press called “Grounded” about why the USAF was created based on the “air alone” doctrine that prevailed in the 1920s and 1930s but was totally discredited by WW2 and the wars after. Only skimmed it but basically its that the independent branch has become a huge boondoggle on the scale of the other branches but that has no remaining independent mission (if it ever legitimately had one) and has repeatedly developed assets that cannot be used, are never used (Hustler, etc.) or cannot be used as intended.
Devastating indictment, way worse than a stratbombing!
Here’s the blurb
The United States needs airpower, but does it need an air force? In Grounded, Robert M. Farley persuasively argues that America should end the independence of the United States Air Force (USAF) and divide its assets and missions between the United States Army and the United States Navy.
In the wake of World War I, advocates of the Air Force argued that an organizationally independent air force would render other military branches obsolete. These boosters promised clean, easy wars: airpower would destroy cities beyond the reach of the armies and would sink navies before they could reach the coast. However, as Farley demonstrates, independent air forces failed to deliver on these promises in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the first Gulf War, the Kosovo conflict, and the War on Terror. They have also had perverse effects on foreign and security policy, as politicians have been tempted by the vision of devastating airpower to initiate otherwise ill-considered conflicts. The existence of the USAF also produces turf wars with the Navy and the Army, leading to redundant expenditures, nonsensical restrictions on equipment use, and bad tactical decisions.
Farley does not challenge the idea that aircraft represent a critical component of America’s defenses; nor does he dispute that―especially now, with the introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles―airpower is necessary to modern warfare. Rather, he demonstrates that the efficient and wise use of airpower does not require the USAF as presently constituted. An intriguing scholarly polemic, Grounded employs a wide variety of primary and secondary source materials to build its case that the United States should now correct its 1947 mistake of having created an independent air force.
Devastating indictment, way worse than a stratbombing!
Meh… One man’s opinion…
This book portrays itself as presenting a logical argument for the elimination of the U.S. Air Force but in reality only argues for redistributing its assets in a less efficient manner.
In a poorly constructed attempt to justify a foregone conclusion, the author argues for disestablishment of an independent air force for the U.S., maintaining that the Army and Navy can do the job better with the same assets. In a mixture of organizational platitudes and some worn criticism of air power, the book is unconvincing in its simplistic arguments.
Although similar arguments could be made for the other services (when did the U.S. Navy last attack an enemy naval force or when did the U.S. Marines last storm a hostile beachhead), the author takes a swipe at the U.S. Air Force, basing his arguments on old doctrine and a superficial understanding of military doctrine and operations. To some extent, the author has fallen victim to accepting U.S. Air Force hype about its successes at face value without an appreciation for the more rational airpower theories and criticism within the Air Force itself.
I have seen high school debate teams do a better job of research and logical presentation of arguments.
10th May 1940: Germany invaded France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
@Herr:
I feel old now. My dad was born during the First World War.
Here’s a somewhat similar story. I once read (about 15 years ago) a posting by an American college professor of military history who said that, in his lectures over the years, he would sometimes mention that his father was a veteran who had fought in “the war”, by which he meant WWII. For many of those years, his late-teenage / early-adult students would typically understand what he meant. One day, however, he got a bit of a jolt (and started feeling old) when one of his students raised his hand and casually commented, “My dad fought in Vietnam too.” Given that this story happened about fifteen years ago, the poor fellow must feel even older today.
Not totally related but I felt the generation change when I asked in my classroom how many saw the first Star Wars movie (Ep. IV) and only 3 hands out of 30 were raise…
Yeah, and now all of a sudden we should feel something like an awaakening :roll:.
The youth of today can not relate to WWII anymore.
Most of the Veterans are gone and you have to deal nowadays with fantastic storybooks of it where only the half is true.
Memorials becoming more interest because People don’t know for what they stand for.
Enjoy.
Enjoyed that, thank you AetV.
Thanks to all service men past and present for your services in the armed forces !
Maybe the kids now adays would remember history if they had cell phones in WW2. :-(
In remembrance of all those who served in the D-Day landings 74 years ago- especially those who gave their lives for their country and their cause. My hat’s off to them.
June 10 is a day that will live on in infamy. It was marked by several well-known German atrocities against the civilian population of occupied countries.
On this day in 1942, the Germans started the destruction of the village of Lidice in Czechoslovakia and the massacre of its population. On the same day in 1944, the villages of Oradour-sur-Glane in France and Distomo in Greece were destroyed in a similar way.
Today is the start of the Eastern Front.
And also, the beginning of its end, three years later.
Thank God it worked out in our (the Allies) favor!
On this day in 1941, a certain Romanian “locotenet,” a former Iron Guardist, a fascist of the lowest sort, commenced his shenanagans on the Eastern Front. He was quoted as saying this to his artillery commander when he lost his patience and wanted to fire what he thought would be the first shot of Barbarossa: “Is it that we cannot start because Mr. (Germany? Hitler?) wants all the credit? We want to get to the pubs in Odessa before the Germans, do we not?”
In a more figurative translation, he wanted to quickly end the war and get a beer. Despicable man.
I was referring more to his insubordinance and the atrocities he later committed in Moldova and Ukraine. Some people seem to forget that genocide and civillian abuse were not only the main Axis powers’ method of war.
My personal opinion on the matter is that I like no wars and dry weddings.
And I would appreciate if you would stop insulting France.
I just watched The King’s Choice. At least some Norwegians have a patriotic view of the war.
Hope this will post
https://www.opslens.com/files/2017/06/100204-F-1234S-002-1.jpg
Well https://www.opslens.com/files/2017/06/100204-F-1234S-002-1.jpgiltryagain
Ok it’s the b 25 s that I thought looked cool. Anyway…
July 3rd 1944, the British and Canadian armies were locked in bitter fighting liberating Caen. Vive la france!
5th July 43: The battle of Kursk began today. It would prove to be Germany’s last offensive in the East. Units from Model’s 9th Army attacked from the north, while units from Hoth’s 4PZ Army attacked alongside Army Detachment Kempf attacked into the salient from the south.
The Germans used 90 new Ferdinands and 200 Panthers, alongside the tried and tested older Mk IIIs, IVs and various independent Companies of Tigers as well as full strength 503rd amd 505th Heavy Tank Battalions.
The Russians were prepared, having mined extensively and installed 1000s of AT guns and Artillery pieces.
