The Need for Technical Warriors
Abstract
Science & Technology (S&T) is fundamental to the warfighter. The best way to exploit S&T is to have technical warriors -- competent military officers who have credibility both with the warfighters and the S&T community. The only way to ensure the highest quality technical warriors is for the Air Force to make a commitment to educate and promote a small cadre of officers to fulfill this role. If the Air Force wants to maintain its S&T edge, it must have officers who can "speak the language," who can competently serve as an interface between both the warrior and industry, and who have both technical vision and experience. These officers need to be grown and need to have a technical mind-set -- not just officers who have been exposed to S&T, for you will then simply get officers with advanced degrees and a casual acquaintance with S&T -- not true technical warriors. In addition, a clear, upward path must be available for technical officers. A pool of technical warriors is needed in the officer corps, with the means to choose or identify the best and to place them in senior leadership positions. Research wings under the Air Force Research Laboratory umbrella would provide an ideal structure. In these days of highly visible, national-priority, high-tech programs -- space-based lasers, national missile defense, airborne lasers, and directed-energy weapons, to name a few -- technical warriors are needed for the Air Force's future, now more than ever. Finally, to paraphrase a recent Air Force SAB study, in today's rapidly changing, uncertain world, the technical warrior must provide the Air Force with capabilities to conduct any mission, meet any contingency, dominate any battlefield, and win any war. Only then will the ultimate goal of defense S&T be accomplished -- winning the war.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA519072
Entities
People
- J. D. Beason
Organizations
- Air University