Air Force Dbq

Improved Essays
Introduction
The United States Air Force’s foundational tenet for command and control of air and space forces is “centralized control and decentralized execution” executed by a Joint Forces Air Component Commander through an Air Operations Center. Centralized control and decentralized execution is the fundamental organizing principle for the United States Air Force and affects everything from presentation of forces to weapon systems to doctrine to professional military education. This long seated tenet evolved through peace and war to have air minded leadership of airpower and ensure commanders understood and appropriately employed the unique characteristics of airpower rather than diluting the tactical, operational, and strategic effects of airpower. Limited by the state of technology during the evolution from World War One through World War Two, air forces were centrally managed by a theater level air commander and missions were executed by subordinate air
…show more content…
The Air Force executes mission command through its tenet of “centralized control and decentralized execution.” Air Force Doctrine Document 1-1 states that centralized control and decentralized execution of air and space power are absolutely critical to ensuring the operational and tactical flexibility to meet combatant command-wide objectives. They also allow a single air commander to apply the other tenets of air power which are: flexibility and versatility, synergistic effects, a unique form of persistence, concentration of purpose, prioritization, and balance. But what is centralized control and decentralized

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    World War II was a type of warfare where nations raced each other to develop new military technology that could defeat other nations. In some circumstances, the new technologies have benefited nations, but also have hurt the nations during warfare. One of these new technology innovations was The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber Aircraft. This aircraft was a game changer for aircraft bombing missions due to the range of travel and the design of the aircraft. In order to comprehend how this aircraft changed modern aviation warfare; the aircraft’s program history, how it operated in combat, and the airmen culture on the aircraft must be understood.…

    • 1775 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    More than two thousand men deserted Washington’s Army at Valley Forge, according to Document A. If I was a part of Washington’s Army, would I have been one of the hundreds to leave? After reading about the amount of sickness and death, the little amounts of food, and how poor the living conditions were, I made a decision. If I could, I would leave Valley Forge. Read the documents, and listen to me.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Western Front Dbq

    • 1576 Words
    • 7 Pages

    1. Most action for the Canadian Corps on the Western Front in the First World War took place between the locations for the battles of The Somme and Passchendaele. Referring to Document 1, in what two countries did Canada fight? Canada, fighting for the British, fought in the nations of France and Belgium. 2.…

    • 1576 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The problem statement facing the 4th ABCT: How to train and sustain the 4th ABCT to successfully assume the RAF mission; given a condensed timeline for training, equipping and developing its Soldiers for a deployment rotation to the NTC, so that they can best execute decentralized security operations in uncertain conditions while maintaining combat readiness after assuming the RAF mission. Following Bonnot and Walker’s seven-step process for building an organizational vision, the assessment above summarized in the problem statement above serves as a base understanding that helped guide the What, Why, and How of the initial vision for the 4th ABCT. The initial vision:…

    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    William ‘Billy’ Mitchell sacrificed his career to ensure that the Army Air Corps would become an independent air force, and unfortunately, in his lifetime he failed. Mitchell’s lasting impact on the military is best seen in the existence and emphasis of air power. Like so many visionaries before him, Mitchell was punished for failing to capitulate to senior military leaders and their narrow world…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gettysburg Dbq

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with a population of 2,400, recently hosted the latest battle of the Civil War. This battle was fought July 1-3, 1863. The Battle of Gettysburg is thought of as the most important clash of the Civil War. The Confederate’s casualties totalled to 28,000 out of 75,000 and the Union’s casualties totalled to 23,000/88,000. 160,000 people were involved.…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Although writer Douglas Adams may have envisioned flying as “learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss”, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Cunningham foresaw the future of the US Navy. Since the introduction of the Wright Brother’s Military flyer in 1909, aircraft have revolutionized the art of war, allowing warfare to transcend the ground and sea. Modern US Naval Aviation, currently boasting over 3,700 operational aircraft, owes its origins to Lt. Col. Alfred Cunningham, who was among the first to advocate for the use of airplanes in military operations. Lt. Col. Cunningham’s love affair with aviation began following a ride in a hot air balloon in 1903. This inspired him to lease a plane dubbed “ Noisy Nan” for $25 a month so that he could teach himself how to fly.…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gettysburg Dbq

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages

    From a little small town to a blood bath, Gettysburg had become a battle with the most casualties during the Civil War. In the summer of 1863, the Civil War had been going on for three years. Times were difficult, and both the Confederate and Union armies needed an end to this horrible war. In various ways, the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War. The main reasons include the instance number of casualties from both sides, the disadvantages of the Confederate Army, and the determination to end the war.…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    A key example comes from General Giulio Douhet who intensively believed that the development of the aircraft would change the nature of war forever, “it [made it] possible to go far behind the fortified lines of defense without first breaking through them”. He made it very clear in his book The Command of the air that he strongly believed that having a powerful air force would ultimately win you the war, as airstrikes were indefensible. Herman Göring, the leader of the German Luftwaffe strongly used Douhet’s theories in his planning of the airstrikes which went along with the Nazi Blitzkrieg that decimated most of Western Europe. In this essay I will illustrate that the strategies that were formulated by Douhet and used by generals such as Göring were for the most part unsuccessful, as clearly seen in the Battle of Britain, I will show that although the nature of war was changed by the use of airplanes, war can not be won by the use of an air…

    • 1534 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Air Power Influence

    • 1974 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Air power influenced each member of the Allies and Axis powers uniquely through the context in which they viewed the effects of air power in World War I (WWI), the development of theories and technology in the interwar years, and the geopolitical situation facing the nations at the outset of World War II (WWII). These situations and experiences created a perception of the capabilities of air power that drove the creation and employment of the nations’ air arm. In turn, each belligerents’ perspective of air power shaped the strategic choices made in preparation for and execution of the war. While each nation’s understanding and usage of air power differed, they all had to contend with projecting power across large distances while balancing the demands of competing theaters of operations. Additionally, each of the major belligerents was forced to consider their social and economic resources.…

    • 1974 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Task: Which of the following factors-technology, institutional self interest, or national security requirements- exercised the most significant influence on the development of airpower in Europe and the United States before the Second World War? Although technology and institutional self interest had their own role my thesis is that the most significant influence on the development of airpower in Europe and the United states before the second World War was the national security requirements that derived from the dramatic experience of the Great war but continue in the interwar period with many airpower theorist advocate this new weapon and the threat and fear that could bring survival from the next ongoing war that could involve all the people now. MP1 Great war experience: The trench years were ahead in which…

    • 1534 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The most influential U.S. officer that argued for airpower development and an independent air force was General William “Billy” Mitchell as he saw aircraft to set aside all ideas of frontiers.12 Unlike Britain war perception of the aircraft, in the United States aviation was advancing in the civilian environment through technology during the interwar years. First air races and flying competitions triggered peoples’ imagination, but also draw attention to high-ranking army officers who started to realize aircraft’s combat potential.13 Recognizing the aircraft’s great potential U.S. military, trough the Director of Air Service, established an Army Air Service School of Application to develop and train tactics and techniques in the Air Service. The purpose was to explore and further develop offensive role of the aircraft and airpower trough curriculum that included pursuit, observation, bombardment, and aeronautical engineering among…

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Predicting that “command of the air” can be gained only through offensive airpower, which will lead to air-to-air battles for air supremacy. Gaining air supremacy, will enable protection and support of own surface forces to fight, and possibility to attack enemy’s vital targets from the air. This essay only emphasized the main and specific predictions for each of the famous theorists, and provided just a few examples from Second World War fronts to present fulfillment of their prophecies. Nevertheless, their prophecies and predictions of airpower represented the ultimate fulfillment in airpower’s contribution to the Allied victory in the Second World…

    • 1901 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Airpower Development

    • 1846 Words
    • 8 Pages

    After airpower’s contribution during the First World War and its impact on the stalemate that had developed, some people recognized its great potential, and began to envision its use in future conflicts. These theorists, or visionaries, began to think how to develop further airpower, and how it could be best used in the future warfare. During the interwar years, their prophecies and predictions not only shaped airpower development, but influenced tactics and strategies during the Second World War. In other words, the use of allied airpower in the Second World War represented the ultimate fulfillment of the predictions and prophecies put forward during the interwar years. In order to successfully and efficiently use airpower, and ultimately…

    • 1846 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Manoeuvre Leadership Essay

    • 1658 Words
    • 7 Pages

    IMPLICATIONS OF FUTURE BATTLEFIELD ON LEADERSHIP 1. Numerous trends will shape military leadership over the next thirty years. First, traditional hands-on leadership will remain essential. Second, the current trend toward joint operations will evolve into thoroughly integrated forces. Third, peace operations and other non combat roles will continue to grow becoming a major share of our overall military mission.…

    • 1658 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays