Kobani, Syria, is one of the few places where the Islamic State has been forced into retreat since the U.S. started operations against the terrorist group, and an interesting report from Julia Barnes of the Wall Street Journal reveals one reason that was possible. Cooperation between Kurdish rebel forces on the ground and American pilots, in B-1 Lancer bombers, went off like clockwork, apparently. “It was almost like an orchestra,” Air Force major Brandon Miller said. The story is a heartening read. With the U.S. poised to start offering air support other Syrian rebels besides the renowned Kurds, that level of coordination might be hard to maintain — but here’s hoping it might be.