General Wilbur Creech takes over Tactical Air Command. This marks a momentous cultural shift for the US Air Force, compared to the days of Curtis LeMay, when the “bombers” dominated strategy. Generals with fighter pilot backgrounds, who had experienced firsthand the mistakes made by the bombers during the Vietnam War, are now in charge. Creech promotes a policy of streamlined, decentralized decision-making and independent judgment. This completely transforms air combat for the American side. During the Vietnam War, 1,737 American aircraft are shot down. Over the next quarter century, fewer than 30 aircraft were lost in all the conflicts in which the US Air Force was involved (Iraq, Kuwait, Kosovo, Libya, Afghanistan, etc.).
