An incomplete list of conflicts in the past 50 years wherein the US has fought adversaries possessing air power: - Vietnam War - Desert Storm - Iraq War ...not to mention the entirety of the Cold War. If you've ever been one of the guys on the ground, you're damn happy your team has control of the sky.

...but they sure love that bandwagon.

You say that like it's a bad thing! Talk about the next Killer App!

Yeah, I'd have to say there's a sliding scale there. The lack of pay, especially considering the hard work teachers do and the amount of BS they have to put up with, is a deterrent to a lot of folks. Imagine busting your hump to get your schooling and credentials, then not having enough money to live on let alone pay off your student loans.