Historical Review of Successful USAF Military Transformations

TOPIC SPONSOR: HAF/A5SM Strategic Assessments

When has the USAF successfully executed a military transformation in response to significant strategic shifts or revolutions in military affairs? What lessons do past examples provide that could assist USAF leadership today? Historical studies have been a major source of insight into the processes of military transformation. In most instances, they have begun by selecting a specific instance of transformation which could be identified as significant on the basis of subsequent history and then tracing its origins and trajectory. Such studies have been valuable in revealing the inner workings of transformation processes. They have been less useful in understanding the broader processes by which military institutions conceive, embrace, or reject transformative opportunities. These operate in an environment of multiple uncertainties and competing priorities and can best be understood from a system-wide ex ante perspective. 

• Doerfler, Jay B., "A Fighter Pilot's Fighter Pilot: David W. Jenny," SAASS thesis, 2021, 92 pgs. 

• Flori, Alexander D., "'Back to the Future': Using History to Define the Key Characteristics of Special Operations Aviation," SAASS thesis, 2025, 114 pgs. 

  • Flori answers this by explicitly using history as a "guiding light" for AFSOC's current transformation, warning that without defining its historical foundational characteristics, SOF aviation risks losing the traits that make it relevant while trying to adapt. By analyzing historical units like the 2nd Air Commando Group in WWII, the 581st Aerial Resupply Squadron in Korea, and the 14th Air Commando Wing in Vietnam, Flori extracts the enduring historical lessons for SOF aviation. He answers the topic by defining the core characteristics that AFSOC must preserve during its transformation: providing tailored capabilities through special operations wings, maintaining the ability to operate in a distributed fashion from austere fields, and retaining the flexibility to operate independently or jointly with partners and allies.

• Gilmer, Maj. Jared P., "Dedicated Practice: Lessons Learned from Large Force Exercises of Strategic Air Command from 1975-1982," SAASS thesis, 2020, 72 pgs. 

• Heitshusen, Maj. William D., "The Iowa Birdman: Eugene Ely and the Birth of Naval Aviation," SAASS thesis, 2022, 89 pgs. 

• Mace, Maj. Simon, "Riding the Waves: Electromagnetic Wave Technological Evolution in the Strategic Context of World War II," SAASS thesis, 2023, 126 pgs. 

• Meyers, Nicholas J., "Proficimus More Irretenti: A New Look at the Air Corps Tactical School," SAASS thesis, 2022, 108 pgs. 

• Morrin, Lt. Col. Joseph, "Pack Your Bags: It's Time to Move Again--German and American Support to Short-Range Aviation in WWII," SAASS thesis 2022, 152 pgs. 

• Morris, James R., "Experience is the Best Teacher?  Debriefing Experiential and Reflective Learning for USAF Pilots," SAASS thesis, 2021, 82 pgs. 

• Roberts, Lt. Col. Justin W., "An Autopsy of the F-105D Thunderchief: Underswtanding the Workhorse of the Vietnam Air War," SAASS thesis, 2023, 76 pgs. 

• Schroeder, Gregory P., "Evolution in Air Force Electromagnetic Warfare Technology: An Evolutionary Framework for Air Force Electromagnetic Warfare Technology in Vietnam," SAASS thesis, 2021, 46 pgs. 

• Shields, Jeremy R.P., "The Sixth Military Revolution: Is the Department of Defense Ready?" SAASS thesis, 2923, 81 pgs. 

• Smith, Maj. Kristen A., "Narrowing the Margin: Technological Risk-Rift and Military Innovation: A Case Study in the Development of Radar in Britain and Germany in the Second World War," SAASS thesis, 2021, 88 pgs. 

• Street, Lt. Col. W. Austin, "The Evolution of Command: Past Lessons for Future Command," SAASS thesis, 2020, 117 pgs. 

• Sullivan, Maj. Daniel R., "A Tale of Two Theaters: The Combat Introduction of the A-26 Invader," SAASS thesis, 2023, 130 pgs.

• Underwood, Nicholas S., "Distributed Control in the Gulf War: Challenging the Centralized Narrative," SAASS thesis, 2025, 101 pgs. 

• Wiegold, Maj. Benjamin R., "CI2 Shortfalls and the Case for Reform," AFGC 2025.

  • What lessons do past examples provide that could assist USAF leadership today? Weigold addresses this by providing a historical and comparative review of the USAF's past transformation initiatives—namely Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21), Continuous Process Improvement (CPI), and CI²—measuring them against successful transformations in the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and civilian organizations. He demonstrates that past USAF efforts failed to yield lasting results due to structural and cultural barriers, including "initiative fatigue," inconsistent leadership support, and a failure to embed the methodologies into the institution's culture. To assist USAF leadership today, Weigold extracts lessons from sister services, concluding that the USAF must emulate their successful transformations by mandating formal LSS training (such as Green and Black Belt certifications), integrating continuous improvement into formal decision-making processes, and maintaining sustained top-down oversight to drive a true cultural shift.

• Wiemers, Maj. Benjamin, "How General George S. Brown Advised Civilian Leaders through a Time of Transition," SAASS thesis, 2025, 121 pgs.