A good example are the Kurds. They put women in the field and in the front line against ISIS. They didn't just rely on Western/Russian air support.
at the end of the day you still have to root the rats out of their holes with soldiers.
I think it's a complete misnomer that not many soldiers are needed because of technology. Tech helps a lot and is necessary but boots on the ground is what counts in the end.
Ask the Chinese how many soldiers they have ready to go.
