Attitudes about the conflict—not surprisingly—are intensely colored by political partisanship. Gallup finds a mere 20 percent of Republicans believe the war was a mistake, compared with 64 percent of independents and 82 percent of Democrats. When asked what to do about troop levels, only 44 percent of Republicans favor the withdrawal of some or all troops, while 64 percent of independents and 81 percent of Democrats favor the same.
The incoming head of the 7th Air Force will face an intense mission while relying on fourth-generation fighters to stave off looming threats from North Korea and China.