Comparison of Army vs Airforce - Term Paper Example

Comparison -contrast essay army vs airforce There are several differences when it comes to comparing the army vs. the air force. To start with the army has much more stringent requirements when it comes to fitness for the personnel enlisting so anyone who follows a good fitness regimen can easily adapt into the army culture moreover the army is harder faced than the air force when it comes to rules and regulations. The air force on the other hand is much more relaxed compared to the army however the required qualifications in the army and air force are different for male and female depending on which the location you are posted at. One of the main differences of course lies in the defence regulations of each branch. It is usually assumed that the air force is the only primary air defence whereas, it is often overlooked that the army also has a large number of defensive aircrafts. The basic difference is that the air force has more aircrafts devoted to research and development wherein new and latest technology is used to make more powerful aircrafts, while the army is always in preparedness and maintains constantly a battle ready fleet of aircrafts. The army when compared to the air force is capable of deploying its own massive air defence if required at anytime. The air force is however focused on maintaining a larger scope and geographically distributed air defence with its fleet, the army on the other hand concentrates on short range and more of emergency support which explains the functional designs of the aircrafts used by them. This reflects why the army uses short range aircrafts as opposed to the long range ones used in the air force, as they are mainly used for the in and out missions which does not require the long distance and high altitude defence strategies. This clearly defines each unit’s role in the defence function and its goals in general. When we take aircraft as the criteria the most general difference is the fact that aircraft focus or specialisation is a part of a very small function of these units when compared to the military as a whole. Stealth aircrafts are more for long range purposes which is why the airforce posses them while the army focuses more on maneuverability which is the main issue when it comes to the capabilities and functions of the aircraft. The airforce which concentrates on airpower therefore focuses on a combination of stealth, maneuverability and super speed with letahl exponents. Thus we can assume that the airforce jets don’t focus on the survivability factor while the the army tends to carry out more dangengerous missions in arial warfare. Ofcourse the education and flight training are on very different levels in both these branches. The army focuses on specialised training of helicopter pilots and raid style of aircraft infantry while the airforce offers specialised training which specialises on protective above the ground service in aircraft flying. However be it the agile and compact aircrafts of the army or the hi-tech jets of the airforce they are both dedicated to serving the same purpose as well as constantly striving to improve on existing technology with higher standards to keep up with the latest standards of warfare. The key feature of the Army’s capability to win in any situation is its human element, the soldier. While the airforce is more dependant on the power, stealth and technology of its aircrafts along with the expertise of the pilots who fly them. “A description of today’s army, a comprehensive conceptual architecture for military operations, a definition of command and an outline of elements of planning, execution and logistics, a broad framework for conducting and sequencing operations, and a perspective regarding land warfare within the joint environment, within information operations and within conflict using weapons of mass destruction”. ( Maj.Robert Gass. School of advanced military study). “The core competency of air superiority is the basis for the Air Force counterair mission(including offensive and defensive operations); space superiority generates a similar counterspace mission. Precision employment creates the five missions: strategic attack, interdiction, close air support and rescue, and special operations”. ( Maj.Robert Gass. School of advanced military study). Global mobility, command and control, surveillance, navigation and positioning, and weather service are some of the main areas of the airforce operations. The army branch exists basically for land combat with sustained operations backed up by the air and naval units and together become a dominating force against the adversary. Victory in any war is on the ground which is dominated by the army, the naval and air defenses can be endured by the ememy while the land forces cannot be ignored.The modern warfare is certainly also dominated by the airpower which is the main part of the national security and it does allow the other branches to optimize their defense contributions to the country. Each of these services operate in different ways, take for eg. the Iraq war the airforce had only about 5000 troops stationed there while the army had about 130,000 soldiers deployed making up the bulk of all the combined forces of the U.S military in Iraq. This is due to the fact that the airforce is limited to the areas from which it can operate, a suitable airfield for the various types of war planes being one of the basic prerequisites for the airforce to have a base. They have to fight the war from these appointed locations without having to move about on the ground. The army in contrast is extremely mobile and has many bases to operate from. This is a major difference as it is relatively easier to operate from a fixed small area with limited personel when compared to the army which is spread out over a large area co-ordinating operations from several diffferent loactions at the same time. The other difference which is generally noticed by all is that the airforce insists on quality fo life as a basic necessity wherever they are stationed. They airforce personel expect all basic amenities like showers, air-conditioned sleeping tents, toilet tents etc. which are to be set up within three days of arriving at the base. This they claim is a prerequisite as the pilots are in a high stress job and need to be well rested inorder to be in peak fitness for combat. Along with these luxuries housekeeping is well taken care of at each airforce station. Whereas for the army war and combat is the first priority and the rest of the luxuries follow. The amenities also depends on the terrain and logistics issues wherein sometimes the soldiers are required to sleep on the ground as mobility becomes a key factor when trying to outbeat the enemy. The army also has what is called the “City in a box” which provides all the housekeeping necessities just like in the airforce. This facility is equipped with laundry and mess halls along with various other necessities and special personell to keep them functional inorder to provide for large troops at any given time. In otherwords the airforce is prone to luxury while the army has to rough it out. In addition to all this the airmen also have extra recreational facilities which they get to enjoy when on a mission. This morale tent as it is called has internet facilities where th men can surf th net send mails and keep in touch with their families. There are books for liesure, TV and DVD players where they can put on the headphones and watch a movie relaxing in comfort. The army posts however don’t encourage computers for general use and view e-mails differently form the airforce who consider it a basic necessity to keep the men focused on their jobs. The airforce believes in giving the best to their personel inorder to get the best out of them in the field especially since peak mental fitness is a asbolute must for their job. Most of the airmen usually are confined to the security of their base while the soldiers are out into the conflict areas on their patrol, undoubtedly doing the hardest job while getting the least. The basic principles of the Army and Air Force present similar and complimentary operational concepts. They may not be similar or identical in their endeavours or approach but strive to be an awesome force with their combined effort in making a dominant presence within the military framework. Works Cited Robert F Gass. Report documentation page. 22nd May, 1997. converging vectors: comparing emerging army and airforce basic doctrines. 8th June, 2008. http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA331140&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf Associated content. 9th Jan, 2006. Defensive Differences: Airpower Distribution Between the Army and Air Force. 8th June, 2008. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/16947/defensive_differences_airpower_distribution.html Marni McEntee. Ground Truth, Day 4:. Stars and stripes. 18th Oct, 2003. Iraq living conditions highlight different ways Army, USAF operate. 8th June, 2008. http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=17518&archive=true Army Ranks. 2007 – 2008. Better understanding of U.S military ranks and abreviations. 8th June, 2008. http://www.army-ranks.com/us-air-force-rank.htm Robert F gass. Storming Media. Pentagon reports. Fast. Defenitive. Complete. 22nd May, 1997. Converging Vectors: Comparing Emerging Army and Air Force Basic Doctrin. 7th June, 2008. http://www.stormingmedia.us/04/0411/A041133.html Reserve force division. 20th March, 2007. Purpose: To provide information about the United States Army and Air Force National Guard and key differences with the United States Army and Air Force Reserves. 7th June, 2008. http://www.rfdiv.mil.za/news/news2007/mar2007/usa.htm Read More