Global air mobility is an American invention. During the twentieth century, other nations developed capabilities to transport supplies and personnel by air to support deployed military forces. But only the United States mustered the resources and will to create a global transport force and aerial refueling aircraft capable of moving air and ground combat forces of all types to anywhere in the world and supporting them in continuous combat operations. Whether contemplating a bomber campaign or halting another surprise attack, American war planners have depended on transport and tanker aircraft to launch, reinforce, and sustain operations. Air mobility has also changed the way the United States relates to the world. American leaders use air mobility to signal friends and enemies of their intent and ability to intervene, attack, or defend on short notice and powerfully. Stateside air wings and armored brigades on Sunday can be patrolling the air of any continent on Wednesday and taking up defensive positions on a friend's borders by Friday. This capability affects the diplomacy and the calculations of America and its friends and enemies alike. Moreover, such global mobility has made America the world's philanthropist. From their earliest days, American airlift forces have performed thousands of humanitarian missions, dropping hay to snow-bound cattle, taking stranded pilgrims to Mecca, and delivering food and medicine to tsunami stricken towns. Air Mobility examines how air power elevated the American military's penchant for speed and ability to maneuver to an art unequalled by any other nation. Is charitable giving more about satisfying the needs of the donor or those of the recipient? The answer, according to Friedman, is both, and Reinventing Philanthropy provides the essential tools for maximizing the impact of one's donations.

Ideal for high school and college-level readers as well as students attending military academies and general audiences, this encyclopedia covers the details of the Persian Gulf War as well as the long-term consequences and historical lessons learned from this important 20th-century conflict. This encyclopedia provides a rich historical account of the Persian Gulf War, examining the conflict from a holistic perspective that addresses the details of the military operations as well as the social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of the war. The alphabetically arranged entries chart the events of the war, provide cross references and sources for additional study, and identify the most important individuals and groups associated with the conflict. In addition, it includes primary source documents that will provide readers with valuable insights and foster their critical thinking and historical reasoning skills. The Persian Gulf War served as the first live-combat test of much of the United States' then-new high-tech weaponry. The war also held many lessons about the play of national interests, the process of coalition building, the need for effective communication and coordination, and the role of individuals in shaping history. This book addresses all key battles, the nations involved, strategies employed by both sides, weapon systems used, the role of the media, the role played by women, and environmental and medical issues associated with the conflict.

Strategic mobility, the capability to transport military forces rapidly across intercontinental distances into an operational theater, lies at the heart of US military strategy. Nowhere has the importance of strategic mobility been more evident than in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the military response to the Iraqi seizure of Kuwait that began in August 1990 and ended in March 1991. This study presents a detailed analysis of how the Defense Transportation System (DTS)--the United States Transportation Command, its service components, and the civilian transportation industry--provided the strategic mobility that enabled the United States and its allies to assemble an overwhelming military force to defeat Iraq and free Kuwait. It is also a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the military and civilian personnel who ran the DTS during the operation.