52 >>>> Introduction The United States finds itself engaged in a global conflict unlike any o<strong>the</strong>r it has ever faced, ei<strong>the</strong>r in scope or length. The long-term commitment of military forces dem<strong>and</strong>s serious consideration of its structure. Efforts to transform America’s military are underway, but we need to examine <strong>the</strong> very basis of our thinking with regard to its use. As we alter <strong>the</strong> shape <strong>and</strong> capabilities of our Armed Forces, we depend more on interoperability <strong>and</strong> synergy to get <strong>the</strong> mission accomplished. We must make sure that our Armed Forces are used in a fashion that will leverage <strong>the</strong>ir strengths to <strong>the</strong> maximum extent possible. To do that, we must reevaluate each arm of <strong>the</strong> military <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ory that underpins its use. <strong>Air</strong>power, <strong>the</strong> newest form of military power, is no exception to this requirement. No o<strong>the</strong>r technological advance has altered <strong>the</strong> nature of warfare or <strong>the</strong> way we fight it as much as <strong>the</strong> airplane. It changed fundamentally <strong>the</strong> way we think about fighting by creating a viable way to access <strong>the</strong> third dimension. Likewise, from conventional bombs to precision weapons, nuclear weapons to ballistic missiles <strong>and</strong> satellites, a wide variety of technologies have been developed to exploit this new dimension of warfare that, combined with <strong>the</strong> aircraft itself, gives rise to a new form of military force—airpower. In <strong>the</strong> current resource-constrained environment, it is critical now more than ever that we underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> true Underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>the</strong> Implications of <strong>Air</strong>power Colonel Raymond P. O’Mara, USAF nature <strong>and</strong> capability of airpower. It is only through this underst<strong>and</strong>ing that we can optimize <strong>the</strong> tools at our disposal in order to employ military power to fulfill <strong>the</strong> political goals of our country. The advent of <strong>the</strong> aircraft also spawned a new field of military <strong>the</strong>ory, one aimed at explaining best how to use <strong>the</strong> third dimension. With <strong>the</strong> possible exception of nuclear deterrence <strong>the</strong>ory, airpower <strong>the</strong>ory has been <strong>the</strong> most contentious form of military thought yet developed. Because <strong>the</strong> first airpower <strong>the</strong>orists, <strong>and</strong> many that followed, used <strong>the</strong>ir ideas to justify <strong>the</strong> establishment of a separate air service (thus taking missions <strong>and</strong> resources from both l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> sea forces), debates of airpower’s value <strong>and</strong> role have always been clouded by bureaucratic infighting. Accusations of zealotry on <strong>the</strong> part of airpower advocates <strong>and</strong> unthinking obstructionism on <strong>the</strong> side of skeptics have made it difficult to discuss <strong>the</strong> true nature of airpower’s capability <strong>and</strong> potential. Incredibly, even today, some are calling into question <strong>the</strong> need for an independent <strong>Air</strong> Force. 1 In order to capture airpower’s true capability <strong>and</strong> potential, it is necessary to strip away arguments both for <strong>and</strong> against a separate air service. We must examine airpower <strong>the</strong>ories in <strong>the</strong>ir most basic form <strong>and</strong> assess <strong>the</strong>ir current value by examining <strong>the</strong> record of <strong>the</strong>ir application in warfare. By establishing what portions of established airpower <strong>the</strong>ories have stood <strong>the</strong> test of time, we can use <strong>the</strong>se results to create a true picture of airpower, define what makes it unique, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n determine how best to use it in <strong>the</strong> current context <strong>and</strong> beyond. <strong>Air</strong> Force Journal of Logistics
Volume XXXIV, Numbers 1 <strong>and</strong> 2, Annual Edition 53