Abdicating Close Air Support: How Interservice Rivalry Affects Roles and Missions

Since the start of the Global War on Terror, the United States' military has gained combat experience that is broader than anything seen since World War II. Yet even as the military services take the lessons from this long war' and convert them into future capabilities, there is a danger that long-standing service cultures and animosities may degrade the outstanding working relationships built through the common bond of combat. This paper will look at one of those issues, Close Air Support (CAS). While close air support represents a long- standing struggle between the services, it must be looked at as symptom of the larger ill of unhealthy inter-service rivalry. This essay will trace the evolution of CAS, beginning with the early years of aviation, the maturation of the debate through World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and moving through the first Gulf War and the events after September 11, 2001. These historical cases illuminate the reasons this disagreement arose and became a major point of conflict between the Army and Air Force. Finally, this paper will look at the present situation, assess future trends that should force mutual understanding between the services and create a more effective joint team.