Tribal Warfare: The Society of Modern Airmen
Abstract
Throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, Native American intertribal warfare across North America was common and intense. Apart from fighting over land and resources in conflict that could be marked by generally small-scale but nevertheless intense destructiveness over time, these tribes often attached immense importance to prestige and status. How one tribe stood in relationship to another was considered of great significance. In some instances, raids consisted solely of dancing and taunting opponents and included the famous practice of counting coup, in which a living enemy was touched by hand or by a special wooden stick. In short, individual warriors and tribes sought rank and position in the larger Amerindian community. Even if modern air forces are part of a nation's larger national defense establishment, it is not too much of a stretch to suggest that all of us as airmen are members of individual tribes. For all sorts of historical reasons, this core tribe identity, in turn, has been based on what we mostly do each day. In the simplest terms, pilots fly airplanes, navigators and weapons system operators operate equipment, maintenance officers and airmen fix aircraft, personnel officers work human resources, missile folks train to launch missiles, intelligence officers do analysis and make predictions, and so on. The United States Air Force currently lists more than 120 job specialty codes for officers alone. In the Air Force, as in Native American society and I daresay in any hierarchical organization rank and prestige are important to membership and success. Quite apart from the normal and easily identifiable insignia of rank that we all carry come the no less visible and equally important badges of our qualifications. In addition to these are the all-important ribbons or medals we wear to signify our achievement, earned either in peacetime or during actual combat service.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA618918
Entities
People
- Mark K. Wells
Organizations
- Air University