Writestream Radio Network

In the decade since the Allied invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, most Americans forget that it was a war that was dominated, and in many ways won, by airpower. And not that demonstrated by the nighttime “Shock and Awe" bombings of Baghdad, or the hunting of the “Deck of Cards,” but by an integrated application of airpower across the full spectrum of operations by Allied forces. From the attempted assassination strikes against Iraqi leadership targets (like Saddam Hussein and his sons), to the delivery and support of Special Operations Forces (SOFs) hundreds of miles behind enemy lines, Allied airpower forces made the rapid advance to Baghdad possible. Amazingly, very little has been written regarding Allied air power operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, leading to the possibility of important lessons being lost to the passage of time. One of the few genuine airpower experts who has taken the time to break down the contribution of airpower to Operation Iraqi Freedom has been Be