A Modest Proposal: Making Doctrine More Memorable

Abstract

On the subject of doctrine, there are two problems to be solved. The first is to perfect the means for devising sound doctrine. The second is to perfect the means for insuring that the doctrine we devise is communicated effectively and internalized by the people who must apply it. I have spent the better part of my career in the Air Force trying to improve the process by which we formulate doctrine. In this I must confess I have been far from successful. But in recent months, I have come to realize that the way we go about instilling doctrine in the minds of Air Force decision makers is no less important than the way we devise doctrine out of experience. My thesis addresses the proposition that the way we articulate doctrine is flawed. My simple contention is that our doctrinal manuals consist largely of generalizations. They offer page after page of abstractions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1995
Accession Number
ADA529763

Entities

People

  • I. B. Holley Jr.

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Command And Control
  • Doctrine
  • Engines
  • Instructors
  • Military Aircraft
  • Military Organizations
  • New York
  • Piston Engines
  • Second World War
  • Strategic Attack
  • Students
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Systems Analysis and Design