Artillery vs. air power dispute continues.

• Position: Washington Pulse - Brief Article

The turf feud between the Air Force and the Army on how best to destroy targets on the ground continues unabated.

A rivalry between supporters of ground-based artillery and those who favor air-delivered firepower surfaced in open debates after Operation Anaconda, in March 2002, when U.S. forces fought Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives in the Shah-i-Kot mountains of eastern Afghanistan.

The Air Force was criticized for failing to provide timely close air-support to Army troops. Air Force officers now privately complain that the Army is more interested in protecting its artillery assets and programs than in figuring out how to right together more effectively.

"The...