by Mark Murphy

Created on: September 20, 2008

From its earliest days of reconnaissance to precision laser-guided munitions delivered from pilot-less drones, air power has been nothing short of a battlefield miracle. When the first balloons and dirigibles went up in the air in the 1800's, they were linked to the ground by telegraph wires so their crews could spot enemy troop movements. Artillery would then pound those troops, softening them up for the incoming waves of foot soldiers. With the advent of winged aircraft came the ability to fly deep into enemy territory to spot camps, headquarters and gun emplacements. Shortly afterwards, the idea of dropping explosives from these wood and cloth planes occurred. This added a new dimension to battles and changed the face of war forever.

Over the years, the planes got bigger and faster and the munitions got smarter and more lethal. Once upon a time, pilots would throw explosives out of the open-air cockpits of their wobbly biplanes, in the hopes of getting in a lucky toss. Now have laser-guided smart munitions that can hit a two foot square target from several miles away in the span of a few heartbeats. Against an organized and well-trained force, airpower can be, and often has been, a deciding factor for victory. Countries that would wage war upon a nation with a modern air arm now understand that their infrastructure and government buildings are all easy targets. This alone is enough to give pause to even the most bloodthirsty tyrant. Once the bombs and missiles begin raining down, destroying roads, power plants and production facilities, it doesn't take long for the general population to pressure leadership to sue for peace.

Unfortunately, the War on Terror isn't against standing governments, at least not openly. Terrorist warriors don't plan sweeping troop movements or engage in political maneuvering. Instead, they rely on slipping through the cracks of our armor and attacking the soft parts. Blowing up a power plant in some far off country does not deter a terrorist, but often emboldens them. Even if the population clamors for peace, this war isn't being run by national leaders, but instead by tribal leaders and religious zealots.

As these terrorists surreptitiously slip across our borders or drive explosive-laded trucks into our embassies, it won't be aircraft that protect us, but ground troops. It will be brave men and women patrolling dusty streets that will uncover dens of murderers as they plot against the innocent. It will be special operations troops as they crawl through the caves and over mountain passes that will do battle with the terrorists. More than that, it will be our people, interacting with the everyday people of terrorist-sponsoring countries that will be a deciding factor in this war, not the policy makers. Aircraft cannot stand guard at our nation's ports and borders. It will be individual people, working hand in hand with the population, who will be the deciding factor in this war.

As the War on Terror continues, there are fewer and fewer hard targets left for our air forces to eliminate. Terrorists and their assets are very mobile. This often means that they scatter before our fliers can be brought to bear. This doesn't mean that our airpower in impotent or ineffective, but it does mean that it isn't always the right tool for the job. In the War on Terror, our ground troops are the tool we need. As is evidenced by the last troop surge, more boots on the ground has a definite impact on terrorist activities, whether it's patrolling Kabul and sniping insurgents or digging wells and building schools.

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