Culture Clash: Army and Air Force Culture Concerning Multi-Domain Operations
Abstract
In the winter of 2018, the United States Army wrote The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain Operations 2028, the first stage in their doctrinal evolution to incorporate fundamental shifts in the future character of war. However, in the summer of 2020, the United States Air Force crafted their framework for future operations in the Department of the Air Force's Role in Joint All-Domain Operations. While there is significant overlap between the two documents, one pivotal divergence exists in the command and control of multiple domains. This command and control discrepancy exists because of the differences in organizational culture between the Air Force and the Army. Within the Air Force, four key drivers set the conditions for how the organization views command and control in the future conflict: technology, operational insecurity, power allocation methods, and an inclination for centralized control. In contrast, the Army has five fundamental motivators that set their foundational views on command and control: a conductor's mentality, interdependence, modularity, exposure, and mission command. This study acknowledges a future joint doctrinal publication on multiple domain command and control is inevitable. However, organizational cultural differences between the Air Force and Army will still exist. For any doctrine to be useful in the future, we must understand our own culture and how it influences us and the other branches' culture in the Department of Defense.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 30, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1161107
Entities
People
- Eric C. Joachim
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College