What Army squadrons operated the Bronco?
The 101st had some while I was assigned to it. Fixed wing aircraft were generally pieced out to and assigned to other aviation companies. As far as I know, the OV-1s and 10s may only be in service in NG these days, if at all, or have been given to the AF. There primary role has been taken over be the UAV unit. C-21s and other small transports are still in operation, I believe, but are very few in number.
You're right, the Army never did, although Army guys flew as observers in them in Vietnam in some particular capacities, and I actually got a jump out of one once. The other services that used the Bronco (Navy, Air Force, Marines) have all given them up, in that order, I believe. The Marines used them in the Gulf War 1991/92 and phased them out thereafter -- I think. (IANAM).
The army doesn't operate the OV-1 Mohawk any more, either. (Which was built with a ground attack capability that the USAF insisted the Army stop using! They finished out their lives in the 1990s as multisensor reconnaissance aircraft). The only fixed wing Army aircraft are light transports and electronic reconnaissance aircraft, although it is a priority of the Chief of Staff to get a medium transport into service -- which will probably cause a turf battle with the USAF.
Unlike the other services' pilots, Army aviators are all trained as helicopter pilots first. There is a powerful helicopter mafia that tries to do everything with rotary wings -- which drives costs up and reliability down, like any other VTOL machine.
One lesson the Army learned in Afghanistan, which it learned again in Iraq, is that Apaches can't slug it out toe-to-toe with air defences. Not if you want to use the Apaches again afterwards, although they do a good job of keeping the crew alive.
By and large the air war was joint and well run. The Army, USAF, USN and USMC each has a slightly different philosophy but everybody drops everything to help out troops in contact or a bad medevac, or something. Usually the problem then is getting most of the helpful guys off the frequency so you can talk to the one in the best position to help!
d.o.l.
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