Educating and Training Leaders

According to Air Force Doctrine Document (AFDD) 1, Air Force Basic Doctrine, 17 November 2003, “the Air Force’s fundamental service to the Nation is to develop, train, sustain, and integrate the elements of air and space power to execute its functions across the spectrum of operations” (73). The document enumerates three “core competencies” that lie “at the forefront of the Air Force’s strategic perspective and therefore at the heart of the Service’s contribution to our Nation’s total military capabilities and strategic vision,” the first of which is “Developing Airmen” (73). AFDD 1 explains that because Air Force people represent the “ultimate source of combat capability,” the service has “dedicated [itself] to ensuring they receive the education, training, and professional development necessary to provide a quality edge second to none” by means of a “career-long focus on the development of professional airmen” (74).

A top Air Force priority, developing Airmen is a complex and time-consuming task. Professional Airmen require a flexible balance between broad education, which teaches them how to think in creative, theoretical terms, and specific training, which teaches them how to perform practical tasks. An improper balance between education and training might degrade combat performance, but the proper balance varies during the course of a career and between different career fields. Early in a career, technical training could well predominate, but Airmen might later need more education to prepare for the strategic-level responsibilities of higher ranks. Engineers, pilots, and public-affairs officers clearly require different blends of education and training. Furthermore, the effectiveness of training lends itself to measurement more easily than does the efficacy of education. For example, one can readily determine if maintenance technicians are properly trained in aircraft repair, but how should one assess their educational development? We must continually develop our people during their careers, even though the precious time spent on education and training remains unavailable for fighting wars.

Ultimately, developing Airmen means growing leaders. Successful Air Force leadership requires a harmonious blend of theoretical and practical knowledge about diverse topics. The service’s emphasis on studying foreign languages and cultures adds another facet to Airman development. Even more developmental demands flow from the Air Force’s expanding involvement in the cyberspace domain. We must maintain our traditional technical expertise in air and space as well as our insights into leading Airmen while we prepare people for these new fields. We do need technical specialists, but properly educated leaders who can synthesize and guide others in implementing creative solutions to complex, multidisciplinary problems are far more valuable.

The successful development of tomorrow’s Air Force leaders demands a long-term commitment and the expenditure of vast resources. Because the free exchange of ideas helps educate Airmen, Air and Space Power Journal, the professional journal of our service, dedicates this issue to advancing the professional dialogue about how best to develop Airmen who are ready to lead tomorrow’s Air Force.