Air & Space Power Journal, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL / Published December 19, 2019
Building upon initiatives taken by United States Air Forces Central Command in 2016, US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) has continued the evolution of the Air Component structure, merging the traditional Air Force Forces (AFFOR) staff with the 603rd Air Operations Center (AOC), to create an organization that seamlessly provides airpower to United States European Command (EUCOM) and United States Africa Command across all phases of joint operations.
Even after the eventual establishment of an independent Space Force, the objections raised by opponents of its creation will continue to hinder its future development and standing with other services. Objections to its creation center on the lack of an accepted space power theory as well as the inability of existing military space systems to create direct kinetic effects. This article addresses both objections.
This article examines the impact of the train-advise-assist (TAA) mission on further developing the Afghan Air Force (AAF) engineering and facility management capabilities. It discusses the AAF engineers’ current capabilities and challenges followed by advisor activities and lines-of-effort that share the common goal of developing the AAF into a professional, capable, and sustainable force.
Informed by the research and theoretical underpinnings of leadership development, this article introduces the Ethical Leadership Framework (ELF) to address the growing ethical dilemmas military personnel face and to situate ethical leader development within the context of Air Force leader development. In the past, ethical leadership and ethical thinking frameworks have been treated as separate from overall leadership development (e.g., strategy, decision making).
This short article walks the reader through key features of the flight tracking and noncooperative social media access problem, gives an operational example, articulates a general technical solution, and ends by defining major impact touch points and suggesting future developments. The central questions of the article are: How does the Air Force process social media driven changes in emerging warning intelligence and risk in near real time?
Col Stephen E. "Wilbur" Wright, PhD, USAF, Retired Too many traditional proponents of critical thinking concepts and practice focus on descriptive skill sets, rather than helping us understand whom and how we might develop as a critical thinker. Looking for critical thinkers begins by searching for the insatiably curious and not by administering critical thinking skills tests. Once found, we can educate the insatiably curious with the habits of mind that discipline thinking.
2nd Lt Ryan McKnight, USAF This article examines transformational leadership and its potential impact on squadron-level leadership and intertwined effects on unit morale, cohesion, resiliency, and most importantly, suicide prevention. It reviews Air Force suicide trends and associated changes since the implementation of the Air Force Suicide Prevention Program in 1996.
Capt Michael J. Brown, USA Robert D. Fass, PhD Jonathan Ritschel, PhD The DOD is adopting open mission systems (OMS) as the future in the military aviation environment. OMS proponents promise reduced costs and truncated schedules through increased competition in the marketplace and reduced coding efforts. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined the success of these open architectures in the DOD. Therefore, we investigate costs and schedule for a recent DOD avionics OMS demonstration platform in comparison to 13 historically analogous programs.
by Kara Dixon Vuic Reviewed by Deonna D. Neal, PhD The Girls Next Door explores gender and sexuality issues in the military through the lens of the roles women played in the Red Cross, YMCA, USO, and other armed forces recreation and services programs. The book traces the history of women in these roles from World War I to the Iraq War.
by Nicholas A. Veronico and Ron Strong Reviewed by Lt Col Kevin R. Nalette, USAF Nicholas A. Veronico and Ron Strong’s narrative is a pictorial documentary of America’s foremost aircraft boneyard or outdoor storage facility, located in the Arizona desert near Tucson. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) is a subset of the 309th Maintenance Wing assigned to the Ogden Air Logistics Complex in Ogden, Utah.
by Gary L. McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima Reviewed by Lt Col James H. Popphan, USA Why do successful leaders allow themselves to fall into avoidable moral and ethical failings? Biola University’s Dr. Gary McIntosh and Bethel Seminary’s Dr. Samuel Rima address this question in Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership.
by John Gargus Reviewed by Capt Donald Williams, USAF Combat Talons in Vietnam: Recovering a Covert Special Ops Crew is a historical and monographic narrative combining military education, Vietnam War analysis, international relations, and complex search, rescue, and recovery. This book takes the audience through a complete journey that includes Gargus’ motivation to continuously attempt to obtain resolution with the central idea that is unique to the American military—every member returns home.
by Chris Dunning Reviewed by SSgt Seth Roese, USAF It was during World War II when the world learned of the importance air superiority had on the outcomes of battles. Aircraft were used in a variety of ways to achieve objectives on the battlefields and gain the upper hand. Various air missions were used from all nations involved in the war to seize the offense and advance their positions in the war.
by Mark A. Chambers Reviewed by Lt Col Paul Guevin, USAF, Retired Review of Joint Base Langley- Eustis is a pictorial history that Arcadia Publishing published in their Images of Modern America series. Mark A. Chambers is a contracted senior technical writer with the National Air and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center, which is adjacent to the Langley portion of Joint Base Langley–Eustis in Hampton, Virginia.
by John T. LaSaine Jr. Reviewed by Col Jamie Sculerati, USAF, Retired The Battle of Britain marked a turning point in the path of World War II and in airpower history—an attempt to neutralize British military power in Europe, primarily conducted and contested from the air in the summer of 1940. The outcome of the battle rested heavily on the world’s first integrated air defense system, an operational and technical innovation largely created, and later commanded by Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding.
by Lt Col William A. Flanagan, USAF, Retired Reviewed by Lt Col Dan Simonsen, USAF, Retired Since man mastered the science and art of heavier-than-air flight, aviators have attempted to push the envelope of flight by flying faster, farther, and higher. Along the way, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Fédération) acknowledged these accomplishments as world records.
by Stephen Alan Bourque Reviewed by Capt Mallory E. Marlin, USAF Beyond the Beach: The Allied War Against France is a historical monograph that focuses on the Allied bombing campaigns carried out against German-occupied France with a particular emphasis on the months leading up to Operation Neptune in June 1944. The inspiration for this work struck author and retired Army officer Stephen Alan Bourque during his travels in France.
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