That is simply Bovine Scatology.
Brave Air Force pilots have been putting themselves on the line to provide CAS in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Desert Storm, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Not only have many of them been killed or wounded in the endeavor, but many have take prisoner, and suffered torture and years of deprivation.
It seems as if Free Republic has its share of people who repeat myths over and over again, believing that in the process of repetition they become reality.
You are not seriously suggesting that the USAF is as focused on CAS today as they were in WWII? In Korea? In Vietnam? And you mention Desert Storm. The Air Force was already moving to retire the A-10 but desert storm saved it from the scrap heap.
That was the first “OMG this thing is really a monster” moment.
And it really isn’t even an argument that the USAF is annoyed by having to do close support. Read their own material, they simply don’t believe in it, believing in interdiction. They know they have to provide it on some level, but insist they can do it with the least capable machine ever fielded. One that is specialized in stealth, and in its ability to network with other fighters to defeat enemy defenses.
In short, nothing to do with CAS. And none of the 35s capabilities help it fight an ISIS or Taliban threat.
The pilots are brave, but there is a reason coming out of Vietnam that the F-4 was replaced with 15s and 16s AND A-10s.
The F-4 was meant as a gunless interceptor. It survived combat with regular fighter only through the skill of our pilots. And as CAS, there were FAR better choices.
The USAF is headed back down century series road metaphorically. It will again soon find it has machines that aren’t that good air to air after stealth is gone, and that it is very poor in CAS.
Men will die because their CAS runs out of ordinance. 11 hard points, a huge gun, and long loiter really do matter to grunts.
The better question is why the Air Force would rather see the warthogs bulldozed than see US Army flying fixed wing mud fighters. They Apaches are extremely vulnerable and cannot do the CAS role alone. The Air Force leaders are about turf, politics, and procurement. And little else.
I think you’ll find that more Freepers served their country as infantry than as airmen. The experience of infantry with, and feelings toward, CAS are legitimate.
Uh in WW2, there was no “Air Force”, it was the ARMY Air Corps.