The United States Air Force Expeditionary Center: Airpower from the Ground Up
Abstract
The American Expeditionary Force was created in 1917 as the first unit capable of significant over-the-horizon global power projection of US forces. Ninety years later, the US Air Force Expeditionary Center (USAF EC) received its commission as a training center of excellence for expeditionary operations. Between 1917 and today, everything--yet nothing--has changed in the world of expeditionary operations. That is, although the time required to project global power over the horizon has shrunk from months to hours, the enabling engine of that force projection remains the same: military and civilian professionals suitably trained and equipped to support the endeavor. The Air Force's ability to project power in air, space, and cyberspace has advanced significantly, but at the core remains the requirement to build the foundation of that airpower projection from the ground up. On the bookshelf of the Air Force's advanced training capabilities, the USAF EC serves as the bookend complement to the US Air Force Warfare Center (USAF WC), the former focusing on airpower from the ground and the latter emphasizing airpower from above. Key to both bookends of this bookshelf is the ability to evolve with the speed of change and thus remain relevant to Airmen charged with over-the-horizon global power projection. The USAF EC's relevance lies in providing advanced training for expeditionary Airmen to support the joint fight and to develop the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) that today's expeditionary combat support (ECS) mission needs to project airpower from the flight line to the front line, from the ground up. This article offers insight into the design of the USAF EC, discusses how this design contributes to enabling the effects of its two schools, and shows how those effects are integrated across the spectrum of the ECS mission in building airpower from the ground up.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA596290
Entities
People
- Kip L. Self
- Mark L. Loeben
- Murrell F. Stinnette
- Ralph J. Muli
Organizations
- Air University