The United States Air Force - Case Study Example

Download file to see previous pages... Enlisted members are the “backbone” of the Air Force. They perform the primary jobs that need to be done. Enlisted members are “specialists”, trained to perform specific specialties in the military. As enlisted personnel progress up the ranks, they assume more responsibility, and provide direct supervision to their subordinates. Commissioned officers primary function is to provide overall management and leadership in their area of responsibility. Commissioned officers do not specialize as much (with certain exceptions such as pilots, doctors, nurses, and lawyers). Commission officers are commissioned through specific commissioning programs, such as one of the military academies. There are ten commissioned officer grades and commissioned officers outrank all enlisted personnel. In the process of making decisions, there are at least two acceptable processes; (1) rational, and (2) political. By definition and by practice the made a concerted effort to base its decision-making on the rational process, which rests heavily on a analytic process. An analytic process can be defined as one which there are agreed upon methods for generating alternative solutions to problems, and for assigning values to the 2 benefits and costs expected from each of the alternatives. The USAF has computational methods readily available for calculating benefits and costs ratios once these values are assigned.

assigned. The critical point here being, given the structure, size, importance and power

influence, there is a strategic need to continually be in sync with the DOD, the President,

Congress, and fellow military personnel. The essence of the rational process is the belief

that, "all good persons, given the same information, will come to the same conclusion".


USAF History

According to the National Security Act of 1947 which created the Air Force, "In

general the United States Air Force shall include aviation forces both combat and service

not otherwise assigned. It shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt

and sustained offensive and defensive operations. The Air Force shall be responsible for

the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as

otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the

expansion of the peace time components of the Air Force to meet the needs of war"( Act

of 1947)

The Air Force came into being after more than 30 years of debate on how best to

incorporate an airpower presence into the nations demanding national defense program.

The Air force approached the defense scene with the awesome ability to make a

formidable presence known, seen,and felt across the globe, and provided the US with an

immediate presence in the geopolitical arena. Melinger makes a salient point on the

impact of the Air Force into the theatre of war, he says, "the USAF history is more than ...Download file to see next pagesRead More