Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force

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Airco DH-4 bombers were a mainstay of the early Army Air Service. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) The Caproni Ca. 36 was one of the earliest strategic bombers. This aircraft is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) General William Lendrum “Billy” Mitchell, one of the founding fathers of the U.S. Air Force, commanded American air units in France in World War I. He was eventually court-martialed for insubordination relating to his views on airpower and an independent air force. (Courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) Early years of the Army Air Corps: Brigadier General Benjamin D. Foulois, Major General James. E. Fechet, and Brigadier General H. C. Pratt. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) General Henry H. Arnold, commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) Captain Claire Chennault (center) and the rest of an army flight demonstration team. Sergeant William C. McDonald (left), Sergeant John H. Williamson (right), and Captain Chennault would later participate in the training of Nationalist China’s air force before World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) General Curtis E. LeMay. LeMay commanded the U.S. strategic bombing campaign against Japan and later led the Strategic Air Command. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) From left, an F-22 Raptor, an F-86 Sabre (bottom), a P-51 Mustang (top), and an F-4 Phantom participate in the Air Combat Command Heritage Flight during the 2010 Aviation Nation open house at Nellis Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Daniel Hughes, courtesy of DefenseImagery.mil.) Boeing B-29 flying near Mt. Fuji during World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) Convair B-36B, the first postwar strategic bomber and one of the largest combat aircraft ever built. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) Boeing B-47B rocket-assisted takeoff on April 15, 1954. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) (Above) Four U.S. Navy F-4U Corsair fighters, returning from a combat mission over Korea, fly above and to the starboard side of the carrier USS Boxer (CV-21). (Courtesy of DefenseImagery.mil.) (Below) Front view of a Convair B-58A Hustler. Soviet surface-to-air missile technology rendered the B-58 obsolete shortly after its introduction . (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) (Above) North American XB-70A Valkyrie in flight. Intended to replace the B-52, the B-70 was made obsolete by the development of surface-to-air missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) (Below) A C-7 Caribou transport aircraft used for airlifting supplies to short-runway forward outposts in Vietnam. The Caribou and most other fixed-wing aircraft were transferred from the U.S. Army to the air force on January 1, 1967, in accordance with the Johnson-McConnell agreement. (Courtesy of DefenseImagery.mil.) Colonel John Robert Boyd, known as “40-second Boyd” because of his extraordinary proficiency as a fighter pilot. Boyd coined the term “OODA Loop” (ObserveOrient -Decide-Act) and helped set the terms for the design of a new generation of U.S. fighter and attack aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo, courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.) A Rockwell International B-1B is refueled by a McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender. Air refueling capability is central to the U.S. Air Force’s “Global Reach, Global Power” concept...