Tomorrow's Air Force
Tracing the Past, Shaping the Future
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“A bold and courageous clarion call from a highly respected serving officer that should be read and heeded by anyone interested in the future of the US Air Force.” —Everett Dolman, School of Advanced Airpower Studies
Looking ahead to future airpower requirements, this engaging and groundbreaking book on the history and future of American combat airpower argues that the US Air Force must adapt to the changes that confront it or risk decline into irrelevance. To provide decision makers with the necessary analytical tools, Jeffrey J. Smith uses organizational modeling to help explain historical change in the USAF and to anticipate change in the future. While the analysis and conclusions it offers may prove controversial, the book aims to help planners make better procurement decisions, institute appropriate long-term policy, and better organize, train, and equip the USAF for the future.
“Those airmen willing to actively engage such discussions would do well to turn to Smith’s book as the basic point of departure for debates concerning the intricate relationship between the Air Force’s past, present, and future.” —Strategic Studies Quarterly
“This book is ‘out of the box’ thinking and is very timely given the recent and evolving Air Force roles and missions.” —Brigadier General Al Rachel, USAF (Ret.)
“Colonel Smith has a great grasp of what the forthcoming debate will require. The Congress must reduce the spending at the very time our enemies are overtaking our capabilities. The debate needs to be engaged now. This book comes on the scene at just the right time.” —Denny Smith former US Congressman and Air Force F-4 pilot
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Col. Smith, an Air Force pilot and dean of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell Air Force Base, analyzes the history of the Air Force as a means to understanding its past and predicting its future. Smith concise book is an important analysis of the factors that influence the Air Force's operational approach to warfare. Well-researched and informed by both contemporary and historical airpower experiences, the work focuses on the interactions between three powerful factors that affect organization dynamics: culture, leadership, and external influences. The book is divided into three sections reflecting the three periods of "major organizational change" within the Air Force: WWI and WWII; the limited engagements of the Cold War period; and the Air Force's experience in the post Cold War era. Though he organizes the book chronologically, Smith also pays equal attention to the important factors of culture and leadership in each part. His analysis of culture is particularly well done, addressing how the currently dominant fighter pilot culture is being heavily and appropriately challenged by a coalition of support cultures, including intelligence, space, and operations specialists. Smith's book is a must read for all Air Force leaders, and though it is directed towards a specialized audience, it will prove invaluable for those interested in organizational change, military affairs, and airpower.
