A Lesson In Air Power From Vietnam

With all the renewed talk about the possible use of air power in Syria, it may be worthwhile to revisit some words of wisdom from Admiral Thomas Moorer:

The American experience in Vietnam was earmarked by a strategy of gradualism decided upon at the highest levels — committing our forces piecemeal with initial employment at low intensity and subsequently increasing the tempo in a slow and deliberate fashion. Under this strategy, bombing in the North was restricted as to type and location of targets and level of attacking forces. This gradual application of airpower, with frequent bombing halts over the course of time, was intended to give the enemy pause and motivate him into seeking a political settlement of the war. Instead, gradualism actually granted the enemy time to shore up his air defenses, disperse his military targets, and mobilize his labor force for logistical repair and movement. From a military point of view, gradualism violated the principles of mass and surprise which airpower has employed historically to attain its maximum effectiveness.