Project Control: Creative Strategic Thinking at Air University.

摘要

Air University's Project Control is a premier example of creative strategic thinking in the Air Force. It had its beginning as an informal, ad hoc effort to pursue the ideas of one man, Colonel Raymond S. Sleeper. While a member of the Air War College faculty in the early 50's Sleeper was able to gather a group of people into an organization to study, test, and project his ideas on how a strategic concept of air power could be meshed with the political goals of the United States. Today, the Air Force still needs to recognize individuals with ideas worth pursuing and to encourage them to analyze, test, refine, and present their conclusions. Similarly today, the military must be able to articulate its capabilities, limitations, and potential to political leaders. In fact, bridging the gap between military and civilian perceptions may be a problem with which military leaders will have to contend more diligently than ever before. What happens in the contemporary world if a technological breakthrough were to give the United States a significant, temporary strategic advantage. The possibility of space-based lasers capable of effectively countering the Soviet's strategic offensive force may be such a breakthrough. The author asks who in the Air Force is considering ways to exploit this advantage if it occurs, and who can effectively communicate such ideas to the top echelons of government. (EDC)