Well let's put this at #3 on the nuts-o-meter. While the rest of the world is flying paper airplanes and helium balloons from the 7-11 if they have an airforce AT ALL, we are in the $50 billion tanker procurement era. Of course the Air Force didn't realize that after 50 years these planes might need to be replaced...but no. Now its acute and they need to prop up a friend in the military industrial complex that seems always to be one order from going out of business.
When Viet Nam ended we waited for the peace dividend. When the USSR broke up we waited again. When we beat Iraq the first time we waited. When we beat Iraq the second time....ooops! We are still there flying 21st century jets ...there and in the Afghan mountains...wait..you say neither foe has an airforce at all? Not one plane? WEll!