11/16/2011
The Air Force updated its two capstone doctrine documents.
In October, the Air Force released Air Force Doctrine Document 1, Air Force Basic Doctrine, Organization, and Command. In early November, a revised AFDD 1-1, Leadership and Force Development, was approved and is expected to be available online later in November.
“Much has transpired in the world since the previous edition of AFDD 1 was published in 2003,” writes Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz in the foreword to AFDD 1. “While we cannot accurately predict where and how we’ll next be engaged, doctrine provides a leg up, outlining the basics of organization and command, providing guidance on how to think about and plan for different types of operations and missions. These foundational basics allow us to respond more quickly, freeing commanders and planners to think about larger issues, such as strategy, operational art and objectives.”
Maj. Gen. Thomas K. Andersen, the commander of the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, added that AFDD 1 thoroughly discusses the concepts of airpower, airmindedness, and what Airmen provide to the joint force and the nation.
Andersen said the discussion of “airpower” merits special attention.
“Senior leaders discussed whether the overarching construct should be unitary or whether it should explicitly delineate the air, space and cyberspace domains in which the Air Force operates,” Andersen said. “We ultimately decided on an inclusive definition of airpower.”
That definition defines airpower as “the ability to project military power or influence through the control and exploitation of air, space and cyberspace to achieve strategic, operational or tactical objectives.”
AFDD 1 also adds discussions absent in previous versions, such as cyberspace operations, integration of nuclear support, and an expanded discussion of Guard and Reserve integration, especially in a homeland context.
Additionally, AFDD 1 now includes the organizational discussion previously found in AFDD 2, Operations and Organization. AFDD 2 will be rescinded upon publication of a new AFDD 3-0, Operations and Planning, which greatly expands upon AFDD 2’s planning discussion.
Other changes to AFDD 1 include distinguishing between traditional and irregular war and the role culture plays in war; replacing the three core competencies and six distinctive capabilities with 12 new core functions; expanding on centralized control/decentralized execution to provide more clarity to the concept; and including an expanded discussion on force presentation that reflects recent experience in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
Following closely behind AFDD 1, Schwartz approved AFDD 1-1, the second of the Air Force’s capstone doctrine documents. In addition to laying out the Air Force’s best practices for creating leaders and applying leadership, Andersen highlighted the expanded definition of “Airman” contained in AFDD 1-1: “When addressing a larger audience within the Service, the term Airman now includes all uniformed members of the Air Force (including active, Reserve and Guard), as well as Department of the Air Force civilians.”
AFDDs are available from the Air Force Portal homepage (Doctrine tab) as well as the Air Force’s electronic publishing, or e-publishing, website. AFDD 1 can be downloaded at http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFDD1.pdf.
AFDD 1-1 is expected to be posted to the Air Force e-publishing website later in November.
For the memorandum regarding the new documents from Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy, click here.