Officer Education: Preparing Leaders for the Air Force of 2035
Abstract
On May 10, 1940, military forces from Germany attacked the combined forces of Great Britain and France. Despite the advantages of 3,740,000 troops to the German's 2,760,000 and 3,254 tanks to the German's 2,574, British and French forces in France were defeated in six weeks. Historians argue the French failed to anticipate the shape of the next war, failed to develop adequate equipment in the face of the German blitzkrieg and failed to adapt to German tactics after hostilities started. Unfortunately, the military leaders of France provided a catastrophic example of an institution failing to anticipate and prepare for future war. The current Air Force Leadership Development Model released in 2004 lists creating and demonstrating vision as a core leadership competency. Air Force leaders are expected to "clearly define and express a future for the group/organization based on both environmental (external) factors and Air Force institutional (internal) requirements." In addition, Air Force leaders are expected to demonstrate adaptability and flexibility in order to deal with the unexpected.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 15, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA540089
Entities
People
- John W. Pearse
Organizations
- Air War College