Ralph Peters misses the point in his zeal to defend Defense Secretary Robert Gates and attack the “Fighter Mafia” (“Gates The Great,” PostOpinion, June 12).

I am a 72-year-old infantry rifleman cold warrior.

Since 1944, when tactical air support became the exclusive tool of air dominance, infantry riflemen, Army or Marine, have never been significantly subjected to enemy air attack.

The “Fighter Mafia,” with more and better aircraft, has ensured air supremacy in every conflict.

We were not so blessed in 1942 and 1943, when the Germans and Japanese were able to compete equally and occasionally defeat Allied air forces.

Air dominance has prevailed in every conflict since – Korea, Vietnam and both Gulf wars.

Today, without air dominance in Iraq or Afghanistan, infantry riflemen would be hard-pressed to prevail in the so-called “low-order” conflicts deemed the wars of the future by Peters and Gates.

Larry E. Brasher

Belton, Texas

Peters states, “While the Rumsfeld Pentagon was subservient to the defense industry, from Boeing to Blackwater, Gates insists on giving our troops – and taxpayers – the best value for our defense dollars.”

Then how does Peters explain Donald Rumsfeld’s canceling, in 2002, the Crusader SP Artillery program and then canning that Enron alumnus, Secretary of the Army Thomas White, when he publicly opposed Rumsfeld’s decision?

And who does Peters credit for moving the Army to the four-brigade-per-division alignment that, in my view, has dramatically increased our boots-on-the-ground capabilities?

Pete Myers

Denver