It can be argued that General Henry “Hap” Arnold is the father of the United States Air Force. His experiences, wisdom, and foresight are what made him, in every way, a visionary leader. Due to his efforts developing air mindedness during the first part of the 20th century, he shaped what is today the greatest Air Force on the planet. I will begin by explaining his effective use of transformational leadership and the impact it has on the development of airpower. Then I will explain how his acceptance of diversity impacted the war effort during WWII and the future of the United States Air Force. First, we must know what shaped him into the leader he eventually became.
Hap Arnold started out his military career somewhat average. He attended the United States Military Academy graduating in 1907. While at the academy he was not a stand out student. Hap was so average he received an assignment to the infantry, instead of the cavalry, which was highly coveted at that time, similarly to getting accepted to pilot training out of the U.S. Air Force Academy today. In 1911 he became one of the first Army aviators and even won the Mackay trophy for taking a biplane to an altitude of 6,540 feet, a record at the time (Glines, 2006). The early days of military aviation was not without danger. Hap almost died when his plane when into an uncontrolled spin. After that experience he gave up flying, stating, “I cannot even look at a machine in the air without feeling that some accident is going to happen to it (Glines, 2006).” Billy Mitchell brought him back to the flying world in 1916. While stationed in San Diego he was able to get over his fears and return to flying. He filled several positions during his career; supply officer, Sq...
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...emier airpower in the world shows this. He moved the Air Corps from a small fighting force to, at the time of his retirement, the cusp of its own service. His actions were truly transformational. He also embraced diversity. By championing women pilots he showed the aspects of an inclusive environment. If it wasn’t for this average cadet we would not be discussing to aspects of what makes a visionary today.
Bibliography
Daso, M. D. (1994, January 25). DTIC. Retrieved from DTIC: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a282164.pdf
Glines, C. (2006, June 12). General Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold: Architect of America's Air Force. Retrieved from Historynet.com: http://www.historynet.com/general-henry-h-hap-arnold-architect-of-americas-air-force.htm
Parrish, D. B. (2008). Hap Arnold Biography. Retrieved from National WASP Museum: http://waspmuseum.org/hap-arnold-biography/
Billy Bishop’s path to greatness was not an easy one. He encountered many challenges throughout his young life that recognized him as a fiercer fighter pilot and a true hero. Billy Bishop faced an incredibly tough task to achieving his dream of becoming Canada’s greatest ace. Bishop had a tough life at Owen Sound Collegiate. He would be the subject to many jokes and preferred the company of girls. However his anger and fists won him acceptance on the school ground. He was a good natured boy born on February 8th, 1984. In 1911, at the age of 17, his parents sent him Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario due to his mediocre marks in school which his father knew would not allow him to get accepted to the University of Toronto. He was not an academic student and in his third year of high school was found cheating on a class exam which would later be the subject to many controversie...
Before this, the United States Air Corps was only comprised of 20,000 personnel and less than 2,000 planes, afterwards the Department of War made the Army Air Forces. It greatly grew after Pearl Harbor when the United States was thrusted into war. With the aid of military leadership from General Henry Arnold, the Army Air Force created one of the largest air armadas and took control over the aviation industry boosting the innovations of the aircrafts that were being produced. At its very peak of the war, the AAF was able to increase its personnel to 2.4 million and was then comprised of over 80,000 aircrafts.
The United States Army, in its current state, is a profession of arms. In order to be considered a profession, the organization must have an ethical code rooted in values, strong trust with its clients, and be comprised of experts within the trade. These experts are constantly developing the trade for the present and the future and hold the same shared view of their trade culture.
World War II was a critical period for America, not to mention the world as well. Throughout all the fighting and bloodshed, Americans returned home successful. Over 700,000 soldiers were disabled after the war, thankful for their lives. All the success and happiness of this country wouldn’t have been possible if not for the bravery, courage, and strategies of our U.S. Generals. They provided the smarts, the morale, and motivation for our soldiers, navy, and airforce to come out victorious and recognized as the best in world history. The five major generals (George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Omar Bradley, and Douglas MacArthur) shall never be forgotten as the best generals America has ever had.
General Douglas Macarthur was one of the most well known military figures in the history of the United States. He gave his farewell speech to congress on 19th April 1951 and went into retirement after 52 years of service in the United States army. He was given the chance to address his final message to the US government. This analysis carefully examines his ethics, goals, strategies, strengths and weaknesses. The speech is very famous and highly popular among the American audience. Therefore, we will take into account all factors to critically evaluate the speech and find out what makes it important.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” (BAM, 2010, p.20) These words were first written down over 2,400 years ago by a Chinese general named Sun Tzu in his famous military strategy treatise known today as The Art of War. These words, in fact the entire book, are just as valid today as they were during Sun Tzu’s lifetime. He was one of the first truly visionary and ethical military leaders in the world. Despite the fact that there is not much known about Sun Tzu today other than his writings, in this essay, I intend to extract his essence from his treatise to prove he was a visionary leader. I will then continue to prove he was also an ethical leader. Finally, I will finish by detailing how his seminal work has inspired me to self-reflect on how I can be a better visionary and ethical leader in the 21st Century Air Force. So, what exactly is a ‘visionary’ leader?
General George C. Marshall Jr. was born on December 31, 1880 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania and was the youngest of three children. As a child, George was the sibling that always got in trouble, especially when it came to school. Eventually he metamorphosed into a distinguished military officer. Marshall contributed to both World Wars, served as Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, as well as took a leadership role in the American Red Cross Association. From assisting in the planning of the St. Mihiel and Meuse- Argonne offensive to establishing Operation Overload and having a main part in training and organizing the troops in World War II, George C. Marshall’s career reflects his execution of the officer attributes and competencies.
"History of the Air Force part 2." www.airforce.com. U.S. Air Force, 4 12 2013. Web. 4 Dec 2013.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, was close to not achieving commander status. If this had happened, a different person would have taken control over Operations Torch, Avalanche, and Overlord. Eisenhower, in fact, was the key component in the victory for the Allies. Had he not been assigned by George Marshall to a planning officer in Washington D.C., President Harry Truman might not have saw Eisenhower’s potential. Eisenhower’s past 30 years of military experience, his strong mental and social stature, and his ideas and tactics were all key factors for his triumphant victory in World War II.
The airmobility concept is one of Army Aviation’s most prominent battlefield innovations, almost single handedly shaping the Vietnam War and in many ways, helping to influence how we fight wars today. In its essence, airmobility is a concept that utilizes Army aircraft in order to enhance the ground forces’ ability to perform the five fundamentals of combat: command and control, firepower, intelligence, mobility, and communications (Rottman, 2007). At the zenith of the airmobility concept is the airmobile assault or commonly known today as, the air assault. The airmobile assault was more than just moving troops from point A to point B; it involved intense planning and preparation. When implemented correctly, the airmobile assault provided light infantry greater mobility on the battlefield, along with the ability to seize the initiative and to synchronize attacks.
Tom Wolfe writes in the book “The Right Stuff” about early jet pilots that demonstrated extreme bravery, and behaviorisms that enabled them to be part of a furtive group of individuals. It has been said that these men usually assemble in groups among themselves in a way that solicited the men to be a part of a privileged membership. It is these pilots with proven courage, and abilities that will go forward testing the next barrier: space. These tried and tested men have willingly placed themselves in danger day in and day out, yearning for the spot up the ladder to the top of the pyramid. It was not just a job for these pilots to break the sound barrier and beyond, but rather an obsession to become the next man at the top.
CF02,Full Range Leadership Development. (2012). Maxwell Gunter AFB. Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (AETC)
The United States of America is a powerful and well known force throughout the world. It has become a superpower of nations in just about three hundred years, being one of the newest nations in existence today. Its military reaches out into several countries in the globe and holds a presence as a peacekeeper and wielder of democracy. Of the US military’s five branches, the Air Force is the ruler of the skies, keeping control of the earth’s aerospace. Without the Air Force Special Operations, the military could not complete operations as effectively or efficiently as it potentially could. The United States Air Force is a key part of America’s mission to spread and assist democracy throughout the world.
The Italian General Douhet viewed airpower as an offensive mean of warfare with a strategic mission. When the command of the air was once established, then direct offensives against surface targets could be employed. Air superiority with crucial for him. He believed, a war could be won quickly through aerial bombardment of an enemy’s population and vital center. This would demoralize civilians to such an extent that they would turn against the government and overthrow it. General William “Billy” Mitchell was the most influential air power advocate and theorist in the United States. He was influenced by Douhet´s thoughts. He was certain that strategic bombing in mass formation attacking centers of gravity would cripple civilian´s morale and could bring the defeat of any adversary on its own. Furthermore, Mitchell saw the need for centralized control of all airpower assets in a future air campaign. Having presented the main prediction and prophecies of two air power theorists, let us turn to their application through USAF leadership in the Korean and Vietnam