[Grimmy]

CootaO:

First off, no need to be apologizing to me.

Second, For the US Army to have to re invent inhouse CAS capabilities would be a MASSIVE logistical nightmare. It's not just planes and pilots. Where will they be based? what air fields? Where will the suddenly manditory extra warehouses for spare parts be located? how will the parts be shipped to where-ever they end up being needed? Who'd we buy to get the start up expertize? Who's gonna set up the SOP for training the ground crews? maintenance crews? flight crews? support personell? Where will the schools be located? Who's gonna staff the schools? and on and on and on.

To be blunt. The US of A has organizations already developed to provide all the CAS that cant be wanted or needed. The US Army will alwase have what it needs. The different branches are not the same as different nations. (well, almost but not quite)

As as far as the USAF not wanting to provide CAS anymore, tough beans. No branch is an independant operation Period. The head cheezes in the USAF have absolutly ZERO power to decide what it is that the USAF will do or not do. That is decided by Defense Dept and as directed by Congress and the White House, unless the Supreme Court decides that defending ourselves is no longer Constitutional.

The USMC organization is uniquely self contained but even they are not fully non-dependant. The USMC organizaton was created back in the old agey times when it took just short of forever to get anyone, let alone anything anywhere. The USMC was very much and Expeditionary Force and was designed (during the 1920's and '30s) along that line. That's why the USMC has built in CAS and logistics enhancements. There wasnt anyone else near enough to be able to provide any form of support when and/or if it became needed. Therefore it was all built into the program.

In regards to flexibility, the more logistical over head the less flex. Again, the US Army will never ever ever go anywhere where theres not already CAS capable units within range, either land or sea based.

Let me see if I can put this into context.

If the USN has to have another amphibious assualt organiztion...and
The US Army has to have it's own CAS...then
The USAF should get it's own ground assualt organization ...and
The USMC should get its own ships.