USAF Air Bases: No Safe Sanctuary
Abstract
In the short history of the United States Air Force, air base ground defense (ABGD) has been maintained episodically. Each time the Air Force has gone to war, a great deal of emphasis was given to the protection of air bases. However, upon the cessation of hostilities, ABGD quickly lost any serious planning, funding or training. Large programs were started which required extensive funding and manpower. The air operators had never been interested in this ground mission, they looked upon it as a siphoning of funds that could be spent on airframes. Therefore, the exterior defense of bases was gladly given to the Army under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Army and Air Force Chiefs of Staff in 1984, which subsequently became a Joint Service Agreement on ABGD, commonly referred to as JSA no.8. Many senior Air Force officers incorrectly believed this agreement answered the base defense question. This study concludes that nothing has occurred to improve the defense of air bases. The Air Force continues to offer no training in basic soldier skills to all airmen, and in doing so jeopardizes the security of its bases during wartime and contingencies. Keywords: Air bases; Threat evaluation; Military facilities; Ground defense systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 11, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA223521
Entities
People
- Richard A. Coleman
Organizations
- United States Army War College