1 Feb 2009

Lights, Camera, Action: Getting Back to the Basics

SMSgt Leslie Bramlett offers a call to the USAF enlisted corps to return to the basics of leadership, traditions, and discipline that are taught in basic military training (BMT). He delineates how the Air Force’s senior corps of noncommissioned officers recognizes discipline problems among the enlisted Airmen which have caused degradation in mission support and adherence to standards. SMSgt Bramlett identifies how failure to maintain the attitudes and behaviors learned in BMT have contributed to these problems. He argues that Airmen leave basic training and then enter the “real” Air Force and find a culture which does not reinforce the lessons taught in BMT. In this exposition, the author constructs a case for reinvigorating these lessons to help remedy this situation. [SMSgt Leslie Bramlett, USAF / 2009 / 60 pages/ ISBN 978-1-58566-191-6 / B-116] Read This Book

2 Jan 2009

In Service to the Nation

In this study, the Air Force Research Institute provides its perspective on what the United States Air Force should look like in 2018–2023. This study offers a detailed discussion of the attributes of the Air Force today in order to develop a framework for understanding how the USAF will serve the nation in the future. The USAF will remain the world’s preeminent air force, prepared to fly, fight, and win in service to the nation. [Gen John A. Shaud / 2009 / 118 pages / ISBN: 978-1-58566-189-3 / AU Press Code: B-115] Read This Book Now

1 Jul 2008

Engineering the Space Age

Few people have experienced as much aerospace history as Bob Brulle, and fewer still possess his meticulous recall and research skills. The P-47 fighter pilot turned engineer, inventor, educator, and author found himself immersed in the Cold War race to the moon, developing cutting-edge technology, instructing future astronauts in aerodynamics and orbital mechanics, perfecting high-performance fighter aircraft to meet the Soviet challenge, overseeing the procurement of new weapon systems, and exploring alternative energy sources. In Engineering the Space Age, he shares his unique personal insights into the triumphs and tragedies of one of the most exciting eras in American history. [Lt Col Robert V. Brulle, USAF, Retired / 2008 / 290 pages / ISBN: 978-1-58566-184-8 / AU Press Code: B-113] Read This Book Now

1 Jul 2008

Stopping Mass Killings in Africa

This is a compendium of case studies that seek to describe the best uses of military power, particularly airpower, in response to genocide. The writers examine recent instances of genocide in Somalia, Rwanda, and Côte d’Ivoire to draw out useful generalizations concerning the nature of genocide, international reactions to genocide, and effective responses to genocide and the possibility of genocide. [Dr. Douglas Carl Peifer / 2008 / 188 pages / ISBN: 978-1-58566-182-4 / AU Press Code: B-112] Read This Book Now

1 May 2008

Democracy and Deterrence

Dr. Sharp argues that two fundamental strategies are necessary to create lasting peace in the world: facilitating the spread of democracy and maintaining comprehensive deterrence mechanisms targeted at individual world leaders. He surveys conventional approaches to avoiding war and presents evidence to validate the democratic peace principle (the notion that democracies are inherently more peaceful than nondemocracies) and the incentive theory of war avoidance, formulated by John Norton Moore. Dr. Sharp proposes a mathematical formula that can be used to predict the probability of peace for a given nation. Comprehensive tables collate data from multiple sources on freedom and human development in nations around the world. [Dr. Walter Gary Sharp Sr. / 2008 / 290 pages / ISBN: 978-1-58566-180-0 / AU Press Code: B-111] Read This Book Now

1 Sep 2007

Velocity, Speed with Direction

This storyline addresses the only question mark on O’Malley’s career—the Lavelle raids of February 1972. Using appropriate Nixon White House audio recordings and top secret messages (sent by the Joint chiefs of Staff to Vietnam) that were acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, Aloysius and Patrick Casey rescued from character assassination the reputation not only of Jerry O’Malley but also the reputation of Gen John D. Lavelle. They reveal the real culprit in the matter—the Nixon White House. [Aloysius G. Casey and Patrick A. Casey / 2007 / 294 pages / ISBN: 978-1-58566-169-5 / AU Press Code: B-110] Read This Book Now

1 Aug 2007

Divining Victory: Airpower in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War

The 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War may well be a paradigm for twenty-first century warfare. The technically sophisticated Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were confronted by a much smaller but well-armed and highly unconventional “state within a state” opponent. Israel launched an intensive 34-minute air assault designed to essentially disarm Hezbollah; it did not. Hezbollah’s interspersion within the civilian population presented major targeting problems for the IDF, setting up condemnation of Israel’s “over-reaction” in the international press. Airpower became the big loser in the press and after-action reports. Divining Victory examines the decisions, the effects, and the lessons learned for those who must confront similar enemies. [William M. Arkin / 2007 / 356 pages / ISBN: 978-1-58566-168-8 / AU Press Code: B-109] Read This Book Now

1 Aug 2007

Vantage Points

The aim of this pocket-size and shorter version of Military Airpower: A Revised Digest of Airpower Opinions and Thoughts is to supply Airmen with useful thoughts that might help them meet their known responsibilities and the unknown challenges their service will bring. [Col Charles M. Westenoff, USAF, retired / 2007 / 68 pages / ISBN: 978-1-58566-165-7 / AU Press Code: B-108] Read This Book Now

1 Jun 2007

Command in Air War

This work examines whether “centralized control and decentralized execution” is a valid doctrinal tenet, given the technological advances in the information age. Fascinating scenarios from recent operations, set in the context of a “complex air operations system,” show the dilemmas presented by participants’ increased access to information—and the resulting consequences of their decisions. With the uncertainty of war and the blending of diverse organizations, the author illustrates that commanders must balance empowerment with accountability by developing depth in command relationships among their subordinates. [Lt Col Michael W. Kometer, USAF / 2007 / 345 pages / ISBN: 1-58566-164-3 / AU Press Code: B-107] Read This Book Now

1 Mar 2007

Military Airpower: A Revised Digest of Airpower Opinions and Thoughts

Col Charles M. Westenhoff, USAF, retired, has compiled a thought-provoking collection of ideas from an array of luminaries—including contemporary and legendary generals, innovative tacticians and strategists, world leaders, and philosophers. The quotations were chosen for their value to Airmen and the profession of arms. The aim of this book is to supply Airmen with useful thoughts that might help them meet their known responsibilities and the unknown challenges their service will bring. Gen T. Michael Moseley, chief of staff, USAF, notes that “understanding the way that our predecessors handled their challenges can equip us to better serve our nation.” [Col Charles M. Westenhoff / USAF retired / 2007 / 277 pages / ISBN: 1-58566-163-5 / AU Press Code: B-106] Read This Book Now