Features

The period between the first and second world wars served as the formative years for the development of American military aviation and air power theory. The practical application of air power during …

Not too long ago a bright war college student said to his instructor, “I know all this Clausewitz stuff is important, but I’m going to the Army Staff and what I really …

In the 1970s, when the military’s aptitude test was “misnormed,” Chu warns it “almost cost the volunteer force its future in this country.” When you’re not getting the answers you want, it’s …

Chivalry and humanity, even in counterinsurgency, are not obsolete

Counterinsurgency has no “easy button.” As every soldier knows, insurgents don’t fight fair. Instead of wearing uniforms to signify their combatant status, they …

Is air power the new face of successful war-fighting? Much to the dismay of the boots-on-the-ground zealots, or BOTGZ (pronounced bow-togs), the answer for today’s democracies may well be “yes.” During the …

The Pentagon still imagines war as it should be, rather than as it is

The nature of this war has still to be understood. It’s now five years since the attacks of …

It sometimes seems that the Theory of Air Power is more revealed religion than science; to communicants, there can be no fact or countervailing doctrine that disproves the central tenets of the …

In America’s past, America’s future?

Our collective understanding of irregular warfare, while far better than it was at the time of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, is not what it might …

As the world grows ever more urbanized, it is imperative that the Air Force prepare airmen to fight in cities. Cities are complex domains where military operations are constrained by congested terrain …

Sorry, but winning means killing

Mastering the languages, cultural nuances, beliefs and taboos that prevail in a theater of war, area of operations or tactical environment is vital to military success. It’s …