The application of air power does not always have to be lethal. Our global reach combination of strategic airlifters and aerial tankers made it possible for us to fly required equipment direct from bases within the United States to central Africa. Each of the examples I've mentioned clearly demonstrates air power can play an important role in executing an asymmetric force strategy in peace, crisis or war. I truly believe air power has fundamentally changed the way we fight wars and respond to crises. The United States and its allies routinely use air force to engage others and to help enlarge their influence around the world.
Nations use air power to assist, to deter, to compel and to defend.
Air power can deploy land forces, give them mobility, and support them tactically and operationally. Air power also offers the ability to strike independently and with great effect. In the post-Cold War environment where crises occur with little warning, the speed, range, precision and flexibility of air power make it the frequent force of choice for national political leaders. Further, recent history indicates air forces provide a solid foundation for building highly effective, multi-national coalitions to address crises. The relationships we airmen build through our bilateral and multilateral interactions around the globe are some of air power's most valuable contributions to security in the international arena.