There is a peculiar gratification on receiving congratulations from one's squadron for a victory in the air. It is worth more to a pilot than the applause of the whole outside world. It means that one has won the confidence of men who share the misgivings, the aspirations, the trials, and the dangers of airplane fighting

—Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, USAS

A squadron commander who sits in his tent and gives orders and does not fly, though he may have the brains of Solomon, will never get the results that a man will, who, day in and day out, leads his patrols over the line and infuses into his pilots the “esprit de corps”

—Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, USAS

When I took over my wing [in Vietnam], the big talk wasn't about the MIG's, but about the SAMs. I'd seen enemy planes before, but those damn SAMs were something else. When I saw my first one, there were a few seconds of sheer panic, because that's a most impressive sight to see that thing coming at you. You feel like a fish about to be harpooned. There's something terribly personal about the SAM; it means to kill you and I'll tell you right now, it rearranges your priorities...The truth is you never do get used to the SAMs; I had about two hundred fifty shot at me and the last one was as inspiring as the first. Sure I got cagey, and I was able to wait longer and longer, but I never got overconfident. I mean, if you're one or two seconds too slow, you've had the schnitzel.

—Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF

Different domains of war (in the air, on and under the sea) lead to different experiences of battle for the airman and sailor. Air combat (air–to-air and air-to-ground) hinges on technology, because the airman’s first adversary is gravity—without a serviceable aircraft, the airman loses to the inevitability of a fight against gravity. Enclosed in the cockpit and surrounded by dials, switches, and displays, the pilot of a single-seater or the crew of a multi-place aircraft is physically isolated from friendly forces and basic human contact. Modern combat formations rarely involve aircraft within a mile of each other. Although the radios tell the airman he is not alone, the feeling of physical isolation intensifies as the airman ranges deep inside enemy territory, is subject to attack from any quadrant at no notice, and who’s wingmen can do little if anything if the airman is hit. Voice—assuming no radio silence—becomes a thin thread of human contact, and the leader must maintain cohesion and mission focus without looking subordinates in the eye.