Tomorrow's Air Force - Smith

 When Tom Cruise as “Jerry Maguire” penned his treatise entitled “Things we think but do not say”, and sent it to all his friends, he was fired.  Mcguire was overcome by an emotional sense of responsibility for his career field and in particular his customers.  He photocopied his treatise in the middle of the night and put a copy in everybodies in box.  Perhaps he can be forgiven for his passion.  Col Jeff Smith has no such luxury.  As the Commandant and Dean of the United States Air Force (USAF) School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, not only has Smith enjoyed a full and rewarding career in the USAF he has had long hours to think about and study his topic.  With just as much passion as McGuire Smith formally publishes what can only be described as the next logical step to follow the three classics of USAF counter culture, namely “The Icarus Syndrome” by Carl Builder, “The Rise of the Fighter Generals” by Mike Worden, and “Boyd” , by Robert Coram.  Whether Smith’s book will become a classic will depend on the accuracy of his predictions.  Having been witness to the past 25 years of USAF history myself, I concur with his prescience and sincerely hope we are on his vector.

Let me back up for just a second.  When I entered the USAF on active duty in 1987 my first squadron commander (a maintenance squadron), sat me down in the Officer’s Club, and after a few beers told me point blank, “Son, it’s their flying club, get used to it, or get it out”.  As that point I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.  I had friends who were “Rated” pilots and navigators, but with little Air Force history in my family, I did not know I was as second class citizen.  So perhaps I didn’t have the same hang-ups.  I figured if I did a  good job, and stayed in the Air Force  I would be taken care of.  As fate would have it, I didn’t stay past four years on active duty and now, 25 years later, I’ve been able to witness what would have befallen me as  I’ve watched the leadership of the USAF change, and I’ve watched the  fortunes of my Air Force friends rise and fall.  Because of Col Smith’s book, I do not have to embellish or pass judgement on this history.  Smith has laid down the facts in black and white.

Smith divides the history of the Air Force into three epochs...first, the early years and the creation of the Air Force up to 1947 and it’s creation as an independent service.  Second, the bomber years, from 1947 until the dissolution of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1991.  And the third epoch, which begins with the fighter generals and continues until the present.  He predicts we are currently in a transition that will culminate in the 4th epoch of AIr Force history which will begin around 2030 and will signal an end of a culture monopolized by a culture of those who fly high performance fighter aircraft, and the rest of the Air Force.  At this point the Air Force will have reached full maturity with an internalized recognition that the value of this great Air Force is the total value the force brings to the nation, not just the importance of Air Dominance.  It’s important to note that one can never underplay the value of air dominance as so many critiques of the Air Force do...but sometimes the supreme message of air dominance get’s clouded in the bravado of those who provide it for our nation (my opinion not Smith’s).  

Smith’s predictions are not certain, as he only identifies signs that AF culture is changing.  There are still mighty forces at play that simply do not recognize these signs.  Smith conducts numerous surveys of Air Force personnel that our both enlightening and starkly revealing about the two competing factions within the service.  The officers who are fighter pilots, and every other officer.  The fighter pilots, by far, are still in charge.  Don’t get me wrong, I love fighter pilots.  Fighter pilots are rock stars.  That doesn’t mean you put Steven Tyler in charge.  When, in Smith’s view, the Air Force begins to promote “General” officers, to the position of general officer, with promotions based on their intellectual and leadership capital, only then, will the Air Force transform into a fully mature, independent service, vs the bratty new baby service, the Army and Navy view her to be. 

I’m giving Smith five stars for saying the things we think but do not say out loud.  But I’m deducting ½ a star because I think he’s got the Air Force role in cyber wrong.  I am also deducting ½ star because he also fails to give credit to the Air Force for their technical brilliance over the past 70 years.  Not only did we create the most technological wonders for our rock stars to fly, we revolutionized many areas of air and space including propulsion (both jet engine and rocks), stealth, material science, sensors and electronic warfare, navigation, and of course autonomous vehicles.  All this despite being hamstrung by our own hubris.  Four stars for our very own Jerry Mcguire.