Between the tanker wars, the battles over intelligence and space systems and the recent firefight between the service and OSD its hard to remember that the Air Force actually fights real wars. But the new Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz, knows and, in the first major brief laying out his priorities, Schwartz puts nukes top of the list, then he cites improving joint cooperation.
As part of this, he wants to aggressively adapt AF ways and means across the spectrum (read better balance between special operations and conventional forces). And he defines the spectrum as including command and control, ISR and non-traditional roles.
Next on the list comes that old time religion taking care of airmen. But this includes two warfighting goals that are pretty revealing. Schwartz says airmen must be trained & ready for 21st Century challenges (can you say next war-itis) and he admits the service needs to Reinforce our Warfighting Ethos, expeditionary combat mindset.
Fourth comes reset, or Modernize our aging air & space inventories. And, for better or for worse, acquisition comes dead last.
Read the rest of this story at DoD Buzz.
After seeing What is going on in Georgia, maybe its time to prepare for the next war. Yes we need to conclude the current war, but Iraq is all but wrapped up. The Iraqis want us gone, and we should probably get out as fast and safely as possible while we still can.
Shift some extra effort to finishing AL-Qaeda in Afghanistan, while at the same time re-equiping our Armed Forces for the future. Looks like this war caused us to get caught with our pants down. As long as we are stuck in a quagmire, there is going to be problems. I honestly don’t see the big deal about the middle east anyway when our # 1 oil supplier is canada, and #2 is mexico.
Oh come on,we have F-22 Raptors!!!! Just say “F-22 Raptor” & the Russians will flee Georgia in fear & terror,while leaving all of their weapons behind,which cannot compare with our superiorly advanced weapons systems like “F-22 Raptors.” Our allies Turkey & Pakistan,who love us to death,will allow us to base our vastly superior “F-22’s” in their countries & give our ground troops free reign to move up & down their Turkish & Pakistani mountains hunting for al Qaeda & sending troops to Georgia in a 21st Century version of the “Monroe Doctrine(will it be called the “Bush” Doctrine?)” to tell Russia to get out.
“Mis-ter Trou-ble ne-ver hangs a-round
When he hears this Mi-ghty sound
Here we come to SAVE THE DAY
That means that the U-ni-ted States are on their way
Yes-sir when there is wrong to right
The U-ni-ted States will join the fight
On the sea or on the land
they’ve got the sit-u-a-tion well in hand.“
“Mis-ter Trou-ble ne-ver hangs a-round
When he hears this Bu-shie sound
Here I come to SAVE THE DAY
That means that George W. Bush is on his way
Yes-sir when there is wrong to right
George W. Bush will join the fight
On the sea or on the land
he’s got the sit-u-a-tion well in hand.“
WOO HOO,WOO HOO!!!!
Damn it,I forgot to mention how “omnipotent” the United States of America is,with our “godlike power” & vast superiority to defeat our enemies far & wide.
I think that Roy has finally lost it
Just like “Tailhook” was used to destroy our Naval Aviation capabilities,these “small scandals” are being used to destroy our Air Force.Is it wrong to be ready for challenges in the 21st Century? From what I see in our military TODAY,if Georgia,the Ukraine,& Poland are depending on us to protect them,then they might as well fold up their tents & surrender to Russia right now,because the U.S.,NATO,& the EU do not have their backs.In fact,for Russian oil & natural gas,Europe will sell them out in a heart beat.
When it comes to hyping the U.S. Air Force,the only things “apologists” can say in its favor are “F-22 Raptors & Predator/Reaper drones”.I always thought that the Air Force was more than that,especially since it has a problem with fielding tankers to refuel its F-22 Raptors.
I would love to see what our Air Force would do in actual war & see if all of these people singing the praises of the F-22(& nothing else) will be proven right or be shown to be the bulls**t liars that they really are.
I guess that’s why we are talking down actual conflict(where the truth shall be revealed) with Russia & talking s**t about how great [a superpower] we are & how “sorry” Russia is.
Insulting Iran’s capabilities is one thing,but talking s**t about Russia is quite another.
“I think that Roy has finally lost it“
I don’t think he ever had it…
The biggest problem with the U.S. is arrogance & being in a sense of denial about potential threats.
“We” created a mythological enemy in the GWOT & boldly(& arrogantly) that this was the new face of war.We(arrogantly) announced that fighting an enemy with an air force comparable to us,or engaging in tank battles like in WWII were over,& in the process,based on these “bold(?)” boasts,we neutered,castrated,& emasculated our armed forces & talked about “mighty new” weapons that we were going to get(some day).
Now,a traditional military power(Russia) is on the move,using bombers,close air support aircraft like the Su-25 Frogfoot(which American jet fighter pilots were lining up to fly during training with former Warsaw Pact nations),& tanks.
Is it for us Americans to make us feel good when our leaders(& bold “experts” on this blog) proudly(arrogantly?) proclaim that we could beat back Russia any time we want to?
Poland & the Ukraine both have great reason to be worried.We only have 3 Brigade Combat Teams in Europe,& I’m think that one or more of those brigades are actually in Iraq right now. That’s down from 4 divisions,2 forward deployed brigades,& 2 armored cavalry regiments. From what I’ve been told,Russia has not committed any T-90 tanks into Georgia. They are using T-72 tanks. Are the T-90s on the border with the Ukraine waiting to go in? Are they in Belarus waiting to go into Poland? We don’t even have any F-22s deployed in Europe. Russia is flying the aircraft that our Air Force was trained to fight against.
So while “we” talk “s**t” about how great [what’s left of] our air force is,are we going to sit on our asses like the hare,while “tortoise” Russia retakes the former Soviet Republics that broke away?
The time for mythological “what ifs” is over.
“US, Poland agree to missile defense deal“
Translation:“What a bunch of stupid morons the Poles are.They actually trust the U.S. to have their backs.” Hey Poland,have you been keeping up with the news about Georgia? Yeah,the U.S. really has “THEIR” backs don’t they? CNN reported that the U.S. is more involved [with the “losing side”] in Georgia than we think. Georgia,that’s what you get for listening to your Jewish masters from Israel & the U.S. You’re nothing but Goyim & our Jewish masters want to thin the Goyim serf herd anyway.
Israel & the U.S. f**ked Georgia over by filling their heads with lies of “protection” & Israel & the U.S. will do the same with Poland,the Ukraine,Azerbaijan,& Turkmenistan.Anybody who believes the lies of Israel & the U.S. are doomed to fall & be sold out.
Anyone remember the Mel Brooks Star Wars spoof “Space Balls”?
Wonder if AF people in the pentagon greet each other with:
“May the Schwartz be with you”.
Roy, you’ve said some rather shaky stuff in the past but your last three replies truly show you to be a moron.
Why the name calling? Let Roy be. I suspect he’s a TV writer for the new fall show “Fringe” and maybe positioning himself to be Barry’s new defense Csar.
The poor guys at the top have inherited the products of at least questionable decisions and politics over a long period and are trying to make a dent before they’re all told to vacate their offices next January. Operation Change will begin in Arlington VA.
What’s a poor General to do? Listen to the SecDef, establish priorities and hope and pray that anything you say or do is remembered by next June. Dust in the wind. It’s the system.
I guess the only problem I have with it is the insured presence of some tenured (not politically appointed) employees (SES and below) that have brought it to this low point. I wish Tony Downs was around to write “It Takes A Bureaucracy.“
Roy makes some good points though fellas.
By the way Mitch S, that’s really funny. “And With You.”