Air-Mindedness: The Core of Successful Air Enterprise Development

摘要

When Billy Mitchell, the father of American airpower, commented on the importance of the Air Force, America was at an inflection point. Barely 20 years old, the aircraft had already been put to use in a wide variety of ways. Virtually every type of military mission that airplanes could fly was tested in the first years they saw combat during World War I. Even so, seven years after Mitchell led the largest formation of US military planes over Chateau- Thierry, he wrote a book called Winged Defense: The Development and Possibilities of Modern Air Power--Economic and Military. As much as he wanted America to have a strong military air force, he realized that the viability of that force was irrevocably tied to the economic well-being of a nation. In order to establish strong and enduring airpower, society needed to become 'air-minded,' acknowledging the advances in transportation, communication, commerce, and governance that the use of air could bring to the nation. In essence Mitchell understood that a strong aviation enterprise represented the keystone for the future strength of American economy and defense. In today's environment, the United States conducts security cooperation efforts to build partnerships and partner capacity in an attempt to 'further the U.S. objective of securing a peaceful and cooperative international order.' To prove successful in this strategy, the US Air Force must demonstrate to partner nations how developing a strong aviation enterprise lays the foundation for the economic and security benefits that airpower can provide.