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December 12, 2001

The U.S. Navy feels the air war in Afghanistan went so well partially because navy pilots regularly train with marines on the ground and have developed the skills needed to work with guys on the ground calling in fire. This may be the case, but about half the tonnage was dropped by air force heavy bombers (B-52s, B-1s and B-2s). Noting how successful the special forces troops were in spotting targets and calling in the bombs, the air force got with the program real fast. But the navy pilots are correct in that they have a tradition of working closely with the marines to provide close support, something many air force pilots are not even trained for any more.