Over Not Through: The Search for a Strong, Unified Culture for America's Airmen.

摘要

At the beginning of his tenure, the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), General Martin Dempsey, published America s Military A Profession of Arms. He observed in this piece that each Service has a proud history, rich heritage, and distinct culture . . . and these Service cultures provide a source of strength for honing their unique expertise and competencies. General Dempsey went on to note that this strength in diversity of Service cultures and their effective integration in turn strengthened the joint force on behalf of the nation. By highlighting the importance of Service history and culture, General Dempsey encouraged the Services to reflect on how they best continue to meet the nation s defense needs. For the U.S. Air Force, as the nation s youngest military Service, this is a particularly important exploration. What is its Service culture. For example, Carl Builder, a keen observer of the U.S. Air Force, argued in The Icarus Syndrome that the Air Force lost its way as a military Service from the moment of its inception because it focused on manned flight to the exclusion of its larger national defense role. As technology advanced, the gap between the two widened until the relevance of manned military aviation inevitably came into question. Indeed, if Builder were writing today, he could easily see evidence of a deepening crisis based on the profound increase in the use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and the awkwardness, even unwillingness, that the Air Force demonstrated in integrating the RPA s capabilities. Was Builder correct. Does total devotion to manned aviation shape the Air Force s culture even at the expense of its larger defense responsibilities. What follows next is a brief exploration of the Air Force s culture to see if it is answering the CJCS s charge to use its unique culture to enhance the joint force.