"This paper focuses on professional mastery, which is a critical attribute for success for every member of the 'profession of arms.' Dr Sanu Kainikara explores the elements that comprise the profession of arms from an air force perspective. He explains that an air force, being a technical force, is a collection of sub-elements that achieve technical mastery in areas such as flying, engineering, logistics or administration and that the higher level of professional mastery is achieved only when these elements are synchronised and orchestrated into a professional force that can deliver air power. He goes on to explain that the pinnacle of professional mastery is achieved when an air force plays a distinctive role in the grand strategy of national security ... The paper concludes by highlighting some fundamental truths about air forces maintaining their leading edge through a continuous process of education, learning, introspection and the practical application of knowledge"--P. iii.

Compared to armies and navies, which have existed as professional fighting services for centuries, the technology that makes air forces possible is much newer. As a result, these services have had to quickly develop methods of preparing aviators to operate in conditions ranging from peace or routine security to full-scale war. The first book to address the history and scope of air power professionalization through learning programs, Educating Air Forces offers valuable new insight into strategy and tactics worldwide. Here, a group of international experts examine the philosophies, policies, and practices of air service educational efforts in the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Canada, and the UK. The contributors discuss the founding, successes, and failures of European air force learning programs between the Great War and World War II and explore how the tense Cold War political climate influenced the creation, curriculum, and results of various programs. They also consider how educational programs are adapting to soldiers' needs and the demands of modern warfare. Featuring contributions from eminent scholars in the field, this volume surveys the learning approaches globally employed by air forces in the past century and evaluates their effectiveness. Educating Air Forces reveals how experiential learning and formal education are not only inextricably intertwined, but also necessary to cope with advances in modern warfare.

Histories of air force often focus on aeroplanes at the expense of people. This book tells that story through the experiences of the airmen and airwomen who have served Australia around the world, from Mesopotamia in 1915 to East timor in 2000.

In the 1930s, the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama, was the nurturing ground for American air doctrine. Those who studied and taught there were the same individuals who prepared America for war, and then led its airmen into combat.

In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.

Leadership is a daunting subject for most developing leaders, but eventually all followers will be called upon to lead. Where do we start? What model or theory do we utilize? The choices become overwhelming for anyone attempting online searches. Everywhere you look are leadership books, programs, degrees, workshops, seminars, boot camps, and even mobile apps! Many organizations at Air University are utilizing the full range of leadership approach. Initially introduced by James MacGregor Burns in 1978 and Bernard Bass in1985, these transformational and transactional leadership styles have sustained nearly four decades. Through (1) idealized transformational leader behaviors, one may raise the levels of his or her ethical and moral values while committing to "doing the right thing" for himself or herself and his or her followers: (2) by using inspirational motivation, leaders learn to articulate a vision to energize followers to accomplish more than they ever thought possible; (3) by intellectually stimulating followers, leaders will challenge followers to create and innovate as they reframe problems with renewed visions; and by providing individualized consideration, leaders may learn to incorporate each member's distinct gifts and talents as individual contributors to the organizational team. These transformational behaviors can offer connections to reaching (4) authentic transformational leadership by incorporating not only ethics and values but also, according to John Sosik, virtues and character strengths to refine one's leadership acumen, ameliorating leader-follower dynamics

This handbook implements AFPD 36-22, Air Force Military Training. Information in this handbook is primarily from Air Force publications and contains a compilation of policies, procedures, and standards that guide Airmen's actions within the Profession of Arms. This handbook applies to the Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. This handbook contains the basic information Airmen need to understand the professionalism required within the Profession of Arms. Attachment 1 contains references and supporting information used in this publication. This handbook is the sole source reference for the development of study guides to support the enlisted promotion system. Enlisted Airmen will use these study guide to prepare for their Promotion Fitness Examination (PFE) or United States Air Force Supervisory Examination (USAFSE).

Airpower Applied reviews the evolution of airpower and its impact on the history of warfare. Through a critical examination of twenty-nine case studies in which various U.S. coalitions and Israel played significant roles, this book offers perspectives on the political purpose, strategic meaning, and military importance of airpower. By comparing and contrasting more than seventy-five years of airpower experience in very different circumstances, readers can gain insight into present-day thinking on the use of airpower and on warfare. The authors, all experts in their fields, demystify some of airpower‘s strategic history by extracting the most useful teachings to help military professionals and political leaders understand what airpower has to offer as a “continuation of politics by other means.” The case studies emphasize the importance of connecting policy and airpower: operational effectiveness cannot substitute for poor statecraft. As the United States, its allies, and Israel have seen in their most recent applications of airpower, even the most robust and capable air weapon can never be more effective than the strategy and policy it is intended to support.