Core Values: A History of Values-Related Initiatives in the Air Force

摘要

This research explored the historical Air Force values-related initiatives thathave existed since its creation in 1947. The Air Force has long been interested in and conducted values-related initiatives, although sometimes with a different focus and objective than its preceding initiatives. This study specifically examines two of the assumptions made in the current Air Force Core Values initiative against the historic values-related initiatives to identify any differences that have occurred over time. The two assumptions specifically deal with the degree to which the initiatives emphasize character development, and secondly, the role the chaplain plays in these identified initiatives. Other attributes were also identified and compared across the initiatives. Information was also provided from other organizations external to the Air Force that are concerned with character development. Historical and on-going initiatives from the United States Air Force Academy were also identified and compared against the current initiative. The research analysis identified a number of issues where significant differences exist among the initiatives. These differences were classified into the 'needs further clarification' category and recommended for further study. The primary findings were that there has been a clear lineage of values-related initiatives, there has been significant changes recently concerning a reduced emphasis on character development and the greatly reduced role that the chaplain plays in these values-related initiatives. This difference appears to be related to the respective office upon which the implementation is assigned.