Along with the defense budget, the number of people serving in the US armed services is being significantly reduced. Proposed changes to the unified command structure, new major command structures, and ideas like the composite wing are moves in that direction. Along with restructuring and technological advancements there is also a need for new ways of thinking to take full advantage of the current surge in historical events. A new basic doctrine manual designed to capture our current thinking on the best way to employ aerospace power should soon be published. New concepts to involve airmen in a career-long study of the profession of arms are being considered as well.
Historical surges amplify the value of ideas.
They offer opportunities to consolidate gains, to forge ahead, and to venture into uncharted regions. Such times magnify the effect of both the best and worst ideas, thereby placing a premium on reason while appeals to authority and precedent are of reduced value. This is one of those rare times when a key catalytic idea could galvanize the institution we serve so it better serve our nation and its people. The pages of this journal are dedicated to promoting that kind of thought and providing a place for the free exchange of those idea. Our Air Force is on the leading edge of this historical surge.