What's in a Name? Beyond Rescue As We Know It
Abstract
Operational art is the application of creative imagination . . . to design strategies, campaigns, and major operations and organize and employ military forces. The visual arts epitomize creativity while challenging viewers to interpret an artist s message. In some instances, the artist s intent is quite clear, as in Paul Gauguin s painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, which contemplates humankind s existence and evolution in terms of birth, life, and death. Examining other subjects in a similar manner may also prove worthwhile. By applying Gauguin s three questions to the Air Force s personnel recovery (PR) mission, we can design a road map for the future. Throughout the evolution of Air Force rescue, one recurring theme the redesignation of forces has more or less coincided with changes in capabilities and increases or decreases in the scope of the mission. The latest and perhaps most substantial change to affect Air Force rescue in the last several decades is the June 2009 adoption of PR as one of the service s core functions. By doing so, the Air Force elevated the importance of the mission by formally assuming ownership and committing to this capability on a par with air superiority, rapid global mobility, special operations, andother functions. As the only service to have PR as a core function, the Air Force is recognizedas the Department of Defense s (DOD) expert in this mission. But this increased focus calls for another name change one long overdue. Specifically,such a seemingly minor initiative as redesignating redesignating rescue squadrons as personnel recovery squadrons can become a catalyst that energizes further changes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA562343
Entities
People
- Samuel Kwan
Organizations
- Air University