Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-first Century: A Practical Guide of Tips and Techniques for Today’s Squadron Commander by Lt Col Jeffry F. Smith. Air University Press (http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/aul/aupress), 131 West Shumacher Avenue, Maxwell AFB, Ala-bama 36112-6615, 2003, 194 pages, $18.00 (softcover).
In Commanding an
Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-first Century, Lt Col Jeffry Smith
updates and expands upon
Col Timothy T. Timmons’s Commanding an Air Force
Squadron (1993). The newer book preserves the framework and overall feel
of its predecessor while providing more current information about and
additional support to some dated topics. Colonel Smith demonstrates an
excellent grasp of the challenges faced by squadron commanders. Blessed
with an easy writing style, he walks the reader though many types of
issues that commanders deal with throughout their tenure. Although the
author takes a light but serious approach to topics (note such chapter
titles as “Cats and Dogs” and “The
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”), he does not shy away from difficult
topics—closing down a unit or the death of a squadron member, for example.
Although the book focuses on Air Force squadrons, its lessons apply to all levels of command. Every commander has to counsel subordinates, communicate skillfully, write performance reports, and use e-mail and meetings effectively—all of which Colonel Smith covers in depth. He lays a firm foundation of supporting material by including text from current and former Air Force squadron commanders whose extensive, real-world accounts detail their handling of a variety of situations. These examples illustrate how leaders of various squadrons and other units throughout the Air Force apply the concepts under consideration.
Unlike some books on command and leadership, this one offers no checklists or recipes for success. Rather, it gives practical advice and allows readers to create their own plan of action. All too often, checklists are either too generic or too specific to be of use. To his credit, the author avoids this trap by taking a sensible, real-world approach that helps develop leaders who can deal with crises without having to rely on artificial, formulaic guidance.
Indeed, this is not so much a book on leadership as it is one on command. The difference is subtle but noticeable. The reader will not find chapters on leadership traits, situational-leadership models, or motivation techniques. Instead, Colonel Smith implements a welcome and much-needed change by tailoring his study to address topics either overlooked by other books or too narrow for their scope of coverage—for example, arriving at a new unit, dealing with change-of-command issues, and interacting with the squadron’s first sergeant.
Because this book is precisely what its subtitle denotes, I recommend it not only to squadron commanders, but also to anyone seeking to expand his or her leadership skills. They will certainly benefit from its unique perspective and coverage.
Maj Kevin D. Smith, USAF
Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.
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