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

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.