Wild Blue Yonder - Category Featured Articles

Sept. 22, 2022
Egypt’s Bread of Life: The Power of Food in Government

In response to rioting peasants outside the palace demanding bread, French queen Marie-Antoinette was famously quoted as saying “let them eat cake.” Whether or not this is quote is historically accurate or not, it reflects a reality that has been with governments as long as they have existed:
Sept. 8, 2022
After The Flag: Supporting Graduated Squadron Commanders

“I am relieved.” The last words spoken by military commanders at multiple levels of leadership before they pass the guidon to their boss and step to the right, leaving space for the new commander to step forward and assume command. Upon completion of the ceremony, the now graduated commander
Aug. 11, 2022
Command and Control Terms of Reference

Article updated on 16 August 2022. IntroductionThere’s never been a better time to be in the Command and Control (C2) business. The Joint Staff is investing heavily in the Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) program, which is designed to accelerate commanders’ decision cycles and close
Aug. 5, 2022
Decision Advantage in Competition

If decision advantage in conflict is closing our kill chains, then decision advantage in competition is keeping adversary kill chains open. In the 1950s, Col John Boyd embodied the concept of a decision cycle in conflict with his theory of the “OODA Loop.” He believed that the orient phase was key
July 22, 2022
Rethinking the Possible: Toward the Next Iteration of the Air Force Sustainment Center Way

Since its inception, the Air Force Sustainment Center has promulgated and refined the “AFSC Way,” a methodology and cognitive model focused on identifying, elevating, and resolving constraints hindering AFSC units from executing their missions.1 This approach has allowed the Air Force to realize
July 19, 2022
The Charge of the E-Bike Brigade: The Ukraine War and the Return of the Military Bicyclist

In his classic wartime novel A Farewell to Arms (1929), Ernest Hemingway reveals the panic that overcomes the Royal Italian Army as the Fronte alpino collapses during the Battle of Caporetto (1917). The fictionalized account of American Ambulance Corps volunteer Frederic Henry dramatizes the
July 15, 2022
HYPErsonic Missiles: The Path of Temptation

During the Cold War, the United States (US) engaged in a nuclear arms race with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) that led the world down a path toward global annihilation, but with relatively equal capabilities, fear of nuclear Armageddon created a tense homeostasis.1 However, the US’s
June 27, 2022
Three Broken Teacups: The Crisis of U.S.-UAE relations

The United States’ strategic pivot to great power competition in Asia and Europe has led to declining U.S. attention in the Middle East. As a result, America’s reduced presence in the region and under-investment in maintaining key partnerships have plunged multiple relationships into crisis. This is
June 9, 2022
The Human Factor: Rethinking Joint Professional Military Education for a Multi-Domain Future

Drones, cyber-attacks, and artificial intelligence have transformed from entertaining fantasy to tactical realities that modern military commanders must face. Grappling with a future where the traditional land, sea, and air domains must account for effects in and through the space, cyber, and
June 2, 2022
The Historical Pathologies Haunting Russia Today

The interaction of 4 deep pathologies in Russian history suggest a continuity of Russia as an international pariah.