Oh the old Air Force Ho hum, for the record, And its all factual. All Air Force Personnel are weapons qualified. We control and employ every weapon from the small Nine Mil to missiles, Smart bombs 105 cannons, 30 mm gau 8s bombs up to the MOAB, a fleet of MIRVED thermo nuclear Missiles and a plethora of air delivered Thermonuclear weapons and all before breakfast at the Club.. More than any other branch of the military. The majoriety of the Special Forces TACP ROMAD and Weather guys are assigned to ASSIST the other branches of the military ( mostly the Army.) The Air Force LENT the Army more than 20 thousand trained and qualified personnel in the second gulf war to fill shortages they could not. The Air Force sustained combat operations for MONTHS before and after the Army crossed the line, killing far more enemy combatants in the first Gulf War than the Army SAW. let alone killed. Some official Estimates place the KIA at more than 300 thousand at the high side and as low as 180 thousand on the low side. The Air Force had been assaulting Irag for months prior to our ESCOURTING your helos to their launch coordinates ( because they had poor nav aids) to fire your first shots of the Gulf War. The Air force destroyed more enemy armor and missiles than the other branch's combined. The Second gulf war has not gone much different, The difference is in employment of force, We in the Air force can reach out and touch any one in the world at will. The average enlisted member has some college at entry, ALL HAVE AT LEAST ONE DEGREE BEFORE THEY BECOME A MID TIER NCO AND MOST SNCOS HAVE TWO OR MORE, MANY HOLD HIGHER DEGREES THAN THIER OFFICER COUNTERPARTS. As the Propulsion Flight Chief I had 240 men and woman under my command, Deployed to four locations , building bombs , hangin bombs, refueling jets launching strikes and yes in our spare time we maintained engines for 4 different aircraft F15, F16. A-10 ,F-4 , so if you got A10 gun runs, F-4 Wild Weasel support. F15 Air superiorty and suppression and an F 16 to wax the bad guys . thank your air force. The structure is different, and yes we treat out troops better, we are only one deep, with on average 5 years in training before one is fully qualified, The best training in the Military . We cant go to the "repple depple" Replacement Depot to get people our skills are to complex and technical. By the BY all the education is after a full tour of duty, no go to school time in the regular work day. Yah I know yadda yadda yadda. But I am not a newbie I went there and done that , off to war five times in my time, five different conflicts , like working with the Army, love their personal equipment, ( Air force only buys what they have to for personal equipment, Fuel control for a F 16 block fifty jet engine is about 3.2 million new, they prefer to spend money for a big return. So don't look to far down the road, we are there and your best buddy when your in deep schiza and need air support, right next to you when you need the danger close TACP calls to lay a bomb on the enemy who have been causing mayhem and death. In the helo with the best trained Para Rescue in the business, and there to haul you home with honor at the end of your tour, or to your final rest when its the long road home. And yes we are some tough SOBs , and we use our noggins. ( just for a note, The USAAF, yes that is OUR history as well , lost more men in the Second World War just in the European theater than the Marine Corp lost in the entire conflict and was involved in action more consecutive days than the Army ground Forces ( Yup them Air Force Guys) No hard Feelings here, I did a tour in the Army,My dad Did 33 years. And I liked working with the Army, but I can tell you there is no comparison in lethality or ability to take the battle to the enemy Still like you guys, Just an old AIRFORCE army type lol