Henry Hap Arnold: The General Who Created the Air Force

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"This country begs for air power" (House, 2009). These words were spoken by the commander of the Combined Air Power Transition Force, General Walter D. Givhan speaking of the Afghan fighting force’s needs. One might ask themselves how this say so much. From World War II to today’s conflict in Afghanistan the American ability to employ Air Power against opposing forces has allowed us to remain a nation that’s military effectiveness cannot be matched. However, one might ask themselves who envisioned such an ultimate ability? Pioneers such as the Wright brothers, General Billy Mitchell, and Gen. Carl A. Spaatz are all American heroes that played a critical role in the advancement of Air Power. But only one man is known as “The General who created the Air Force.” The purpose of this essay is to provide evidence why I believe that General Henry “Hap” Arnold is both a visionary leader and an ethical one. Finally, I will describe how I realized that much of the conflicts General Arnold had to endure are related to the same ones that I have to endure albeit on a much smaller scale.
Any discussion on whether an individual is a visionary leader or not must start with the definition of what a visionary leader is. According to motivational speaker Seth Kahan, “A visionary leader anticipates events, influences the future and enables people to flourish in fundamental ways. Qualities visionary leaders cultivate are imagination, engagement, tangible results, and penetrating self-reflection” (Kahan, 2002). Throughout this main point I will touch on each quality that Seth Kahan defines and provide proof on how General Arnold exemplified these qualities of a visionary leader. According to Secretary of War for Air, Robert A. Lovette “Gen...

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...hsonian Institution Press.
Daso, D. A. (2013, Sept). Arnold's Evelotion: The legendary airman drew insperation from many places. Air Force Magizine, pp. 124 - 129.
Davis, R. G. (1997). HAP Henry H. Arnold Military Aviator. Air Force History and Nuseums Program.
Feltus, P. (2014, Feb 10). The 456th Fighter Intercept Squadron. Retrieved from http://www.456fis.org/HENERY_H._ARNOLD.htm
House, J. (2009, June 4). Bagram Air Base. Retrieved from http://www.bagram.afcent.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123152556
Kahan, S. (2002, April). Visionary Leadership. Executive Update.
LM01 Barnes Center, T. (2012, Oct 1). DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE. LM01, Ethical Leadership, pp. LM01 - 8.
LM06-2 Barnes Center, T. N. (2013, March 1). DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE. LM06-2, Change Management, pp. LM06-2SG - 4 - 7.
Wolk, H. S. (2001, Nov). When Arnold Bucked FDR. Air Force Magizine, pp. 86-90.

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