Air Power does not get you to Heaven
In specific response to Shadow and 7X7, and in general support of the current "on the ground" posts, the dewy eyed RAAF notion that Air Power solves everything, so obvious in the subject comments, has been perfectly demolished in a very closely argued and researched paper"The Close Air Support Group", that I have read on the Australian Army Aviation's web site 'Fourays". Apparently written in 1993, apparently no one in the RAAF has come remotely close to refuting its conclusions. I have seen extracts on other sites around the world.
Shadow has absolutely no concept of Patrolling Operations. A R/W full of squaddies is very vunerable to, if not scarce Stingers. the ubiquitous RPG 7, almost as common as AK 47s. Then you get 10 plus KIA at one swoop. Shadow is plainly only experienced in SAS type covert reconnaisance insertions and extractions, not Air Mobile Company type mainstream operations with conventional forces, as is the case in Afghanistan. R?W is very useful, but not in the "bull in the China shop" manner proposed.
Soldiers, believe it or not can navigate cross country on compass and terrain, avoiding obvious routes (and IEDs) without the need of a Navigational Suite on the Flight Deck.
There is a now Unclassified Australian Army Doctrine Manual" Infantry Tactics, Volume IV" ( I got mine at a stall in Notting Hill a few years ago). I sugget Shadow reads it. Its pricinples are not out of date and he may just get out of a 40 year old mental rut in the process.