Why The US Air Force Is Way Tougher Than People Think [PHOTOS]

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Official Air Force Photo

As the youngest branch in the military, the Air Force gets a bad rep.

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Other service members are often critical of the relative comfort and higher standard of living afforded to airmen and airwomen.

But they're no runt of the litter — the Air Force has the highest budget of the four branches, and its operational capabilities are robust and exciting. 

In short, the Air Force is way tougher than you think. 

Brian Jones and Geoffrey Ingersoll contributed to this report.

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Typically, when people think about the Air Force, they think planes and cushy jobs.

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Official Air Force Photo

But it's much more complicated than that.

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Yes, there are lots of planes.

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About 5,500 actually.

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Ranging from fighters.

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To heavy transport.

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The Air Force also has about a $140 billion budget, which is about 5 times the Marine Corps.

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Official Air Force Photo

Because they can work in bulk.

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And F-35s and F-22s aren't cheap.

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Neither is truly remarkable technology.

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So it's true that the Air Force plays with the coolest toys on planet earth.

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But these guys and gals also get dirty.

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And wield some big guns.

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Seriously, really cool toys.

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They also fight. Yes, even on the ground.

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They do a lot of missions you wouldn't expect.

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And navigate some large obstacles while doing them.

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Official Air Force Photo

There are several Air Force special operations units.

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And their Security Forces (Military Police) are some of the best in the biz.

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Airmen and women fight fires.

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On several different levels.

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They're ready for any mission.

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Of course, a lot of it comes back to unparalleled air logistics.

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MIKHAIL Y BERLIN, C/Lt Col, AFROTC Commander, OG, 195th Cadet Wing

There's nowhere the Air Force can't go.

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And they can bring their friends.

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Sometimes drop themselves into some of the toughest spots.

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And swim their way to success.

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The work takes extraordinary focus.

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And a lot of it goes in behind the scenes.

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Lifting themselves.

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To go to great heights.

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Until the time comes to drop.

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They're clearly not afraid of heights.

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And they're not afraid to get low, either.

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They're no strangers to low-crawling through dirt, sand, and mud.

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Keeping fit to fly.

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And delivering the goods.

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The sun never sets on national security.

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And like the other 1.4 million active duty service members, airmen remain ready.

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The Air Force just gets going a bit faster.

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Ultimately, no matter the branch, all troops are there for each other.

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And the sacrifices are the same.

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We still got mad love for the Marines, though.

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Check Out 49 Reasons Why America Can't Fold Its Marine Corps>

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