{"id":59797,"date":"2019-04-26T17:29:18","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T17:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/04\/26\/its-time-to-advance-americas-asymmetric-advantage-by-equipping-the-air-force\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:30:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:30:32","slug":"its-time-to-advance-americas-asymmetric-advantage-by-equipping-the-air-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2019\/04\/26\/its-time-to-advance-americas-asymmetric-advantage-by-equipping-the-air-force\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s time to advance America\u2019s asymmetric advantage by equipping the Air Force"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Earlier this month, America lost an airman whose dedication to duty in the face of overwhelming odds stands as second to none: retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best known as Jimmy Doolittle\u2019s co-pilot on the famed April 18, 1942, air raid against Japan, Cole and 79 other airmen took to the sky that day for a simple reason \u2014 they were the only way U.S. forces could strike key targets in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, there was no way that troops on the ground or ships at sea could project power directly into the heart of Japan. Combat aircraft, able to rapidly transit vast distances and fly over opposing forces, offered the only viable solution. The same holds true today, which is why air power is so important. However, despite the revered status of the Doolittle Raid and other similar acts of air power necessity and airmen bravery in World War II, the era also stands as a cautionary tale for today\u2019s leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Success demands smart, realistic preparation. Too often, World War II airmen unnecessarily sacrificed their lives because the nation had failed to invest in and build the air force our nation would need. Today\u2019s airmen find themselves facing eerily similar circumstances. With threats on the rise, the Air Force has too few modern aircraft to meet mission objectives and get crews home safe. Never has the Air Force aircraft inventory been so small or so old. The time has come to reset the force.<\/p>\n\n\n\t