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There is absolutely no point debating the usefulness of a nation’s military. We all know that the military is solely responsible for maintaining the integrity of a nation by defending the populace from internal or external acts of aggression. This is the most important duty of any military. The United States of America has the most advanced defense system on earth and few (if any) nation can match the range, lethality and stealth of the American military. This is a fact that has been proven to be true times without number. But, in all these, the airborne wing of the United States military, that is the United States Air Force happens to be the most crucial. Of all other wings, that is to include the Army and the Navy, the Air Force is the most important, without the cardinal role of the Air Force, the United States of America cannot lay claim to be the world’s sole superpower. Without having to probe too deep, the reasons for these are quite clear. The United States Air Force, universally agreed to be the deadliest in the world has the speed and capability to destroy any nation on earth within a matter of minutes.

If you are still unfazed by this, then perhaps that is because you have not heard of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber which is so advanced that it reduce any city in the world to a heap of rubble after a destructive hail of bombs dropped by its crew of two –and this can be done within just 20 minutes in any country of the world. Another destructive machine found in the United States Air Force arsenal is the AC-130 gunship, the largest in the sky. Thus, the primary function of the United States Air Force is to defend the homeland and the allies in the event of a war.

Right from the beginning of time, man has always engaged in one conflict or the other. Initially, scores were settled with stones, clubs, sticks and arrows until we graduated to using the gun. Throughout the course of history, countless but deadly wars and battles have been fought with millions killed by fellow humans. The Second World War which ended with the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Hagasaki in August 1945 is regarded as the bloodiest of all the wars in human history. Man is not civilized to the point where war is eradicated. In fact, as at the time of writing this, the United States is fighting very costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Only time will tell if similar conflagrations will erupt on the Korean Peninsula or in the theocratic state of Iran.

In major conflicts that have engulfed the globe in recent history, the United States Air Force, the most powerful that the world has ever seen has played active but destructive roles. Starting from when the Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was mercilessly bombed by Japanese airmen in 1941 to the present imbroglios in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States Air Force has played crucial roles.

In between those wars, the fingerprints of the United States Air Force are boldly imprinted in the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, this is in addition to many other covert and overt military activities that the United States Air Force has been involved in. With such a long history of wars and skirmishes, is it safe to assume that the United States Air Force is destined for a future that is full of conflicts? Although it is not possible to give an exact answer at the moment, the answer may tilt towards yes, especially if you consider the tensions in North Korea, Iran and the Middle East.

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For many people, especially those that are interested in military issues, the fear of the United States Air Force is the beginning of wisdom. For those really understand the flow of global politics, this is not an empty exaggeration. The United States Air Force is the deadliest that the world has ever seen and most likely, it will remain so for a long time to come. For such a deadly and precise killing machine, it is also interesting to know that this mighty military wing has some very impressive features that will please even the most ardent critic.

If you are the type that is delighted by the sight of military hardware, then you will collapse in ecstasy when you happen to see some of the equipment and facilities of the world’s most popular air force. The arsenal of this particular air force is just too impressive and very futuristic. When you see some of the weapons, they bring your favorite video war games to mind. With an incredibly vast collection of stealth bombers, helicopter gunships, cruise missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles and others that are too numerous to be mentioned. If you have the opportunity to visit any of the numerous air force bases scattered around the globe, you cannot but be impressed.

Apart from the vast array of military hardware, the United States Air Force is also one that stands out from the rest because of some other features that are also equally impressive. One of these is the fact that the personnel of the United States Air Force are some of the best and the most highly trained on the planet. You only need to see one of their drills and many displays and you will military professionalism and finesse at its very best. Although these are just few of the incredible features of the world’s most advanced air force, constraint of space will not allow others to be discussed.

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In a planet that is torn apart by conflicts,wars and protests, it is ironic and somehow strange that one of the jobs that can give maximum honor, prestige and respect is that of serving in the military. It is almost a universal practice to respect and adore military personnel all over the globe. However, because of various reasons, being an officer in the most prestigious air force on the planet is really an achievement, one that comes with a lot of benefits. Even though serving in the military is fraught with many dangers, that is not enough to overlook or ignore the many benefits that come with the profession. As an officer in the United States Air Force, you have the world at your feet. You are exposed to the very best of military training in world-class facilities by professionals of the first order. Indeed, to be in such a condition is to be given wings. With these wings, you can fly high, soar above your obstacles and achieve those dreams that you thought were impossible.

Some of the other benefits include the opportunity to expand your horizon and broaden your scope of knowledge. With access to the best of learning materials, you can only fail if you decide to. Apart from having the chance to further your studies, serving in the air force also affords you the valuable opportunity of knowing more about other cultures. As an air officer, you will have the opportunity to travel to different places around the world and interact with the local populace –all at no charges to you. And this is in addition to the fact that the salary is not that bad as well. Also, being an air officer ensures that you are always treated with respect and admiration, especially among the civilians. That is perhaps the best part of being an air force officer in the United Stated Air Force.

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Although serving in the ‘winged’ branch of a nation’s armed forces is a very prestigious job and one that comes with a good dose of honor and dignity, it is no doubt one of the most demanding and the stressful of all the jobs that are in existence. To be an air force means that you have sacrificed your free time, comfort, leisure and other cherished things such as your family for the good of the nation. To succeed and get regular promotion in the air force, you have to take the most rigorous of tests in addition to undergoing some of the toughest training programs on the planet. At various times, frustration can set in when the tasks are just too much for you or you have a boss that is especially making things very difficult for you or you have colleagues that are not co-operativ. All these experiences are capable of piling up pressure on the young wings of the poor airman.

One other very important event in the military that makes the profession to take a heavy toll on the mind is what the personnel witness during combat. You can imagine a scenario in which an airman sees his best friend cut down in a shower of enemy gunfire. That is certainly an unpleasant experience. However, to cope in the air force, you need to brace your mind and prepare for events such as these. Another coping mechanism is to always encourage and motivate yourself and others in the force. Having a positive mindset in life is capable of working miracles even in the most hopeless of situations. In addition to these measures, you can also find solace in religion, whatever the faith that you subscribe to. It has been observed that a strong faith is one of the most useful things that can help you cope in the tough world of the military.

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To many around the globe, the flying wing of the United States military is not only the best and the most advanced, it is also the closest to what can be described as the ideal air force. You will find it quite difficult to contradict this statement when you know the United States Air Force is the most sophisticated on the planet with the capability to bomb nations into oblivion in a matter of minutes. Such is the reach, lethality and stealth that has been features of the greatest air force in the history of humanity.

However, it is interesting to know that the United States Air Force did not just sprout from the ground to become the most powerful on the planet, it had it humble beginnings just like other great organizations. It is noteworthy to know that the United States Air Force was not always the lord of the skies, at least history tells us that there was a time when the much-dreaded German air force, the Luftwaffe commandeered by the icon of ruthlessness himself, Adolf Hitler, was once the most powerful military force in the skies. But the times have changed and the once unknown United States Air Forces has evolved into one of the most feared in the world.

At the beginning, the Wright planes used by the United States Air Force (which was initially a branch under the US Army before gaining a full status in the 1940s) will pale in comparison with the ultra-modern F-16 fighters and B-2 stealth bombers that have become the face of the United States Air Force today. Interestingly, the evolution of the United States Air Force continues till this day and only the future will unveil some of high technology gadgets and weapon systems that have been developed by industries such as Northrop Grumman and the Lockheed Corporation.