The Air Force went to war in Iraq in 1991, soon after the Cold War ended, and there was a sense that the dual victories could allow a reduction in the force and signal a decline in the service's operational tempo. Both assumptions proved wrong. The Air Force has been at war nonstop for over 25 years-in Iraq, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq again, Libya, Iraq again, and Syria-and force reductions during that time have made it a necessity that those in uniform deploy more often and for longer periods. The service has repeatedly had to make tough choices during those 25 years of combat-between readiness for nonstop combat and investments for tomorrow. No one expects the pace of operations to decline anytime soon.
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