Description
Discussion question: Place yourself in the role of a military senior leader who has “grown up” as an airman. You should take the position of an advocate as passionate as Douhet or Mitchell. You’ve been given the go ahead to adapt the National Security Strategy for the president. What key changes would you recommend to the NSS that will emphasize grand strategy successes that derive from the strengths of successful operations in your domain? Explain the historical basis for your thinking as well as given examples for expected successes.
I was assigned a discussion to do. I received feedback by my instructor. I will post my submitted discussion in BOLD, and the question I received for my submitted discussion in UNDERLINE.
The current Air Force Strategy in the NSS upholds various objectives intended to strengthen its capabilities and contribution to national security. While it enlists general strategies and objectives for the whole military, they are applicable for all military bodies, including the Air Force. First, it highlights enhancing military strength by leveraging effective acquisition, diversity, readiness, and modernization (Trump, 2017). Moreover, it intends to improve its defense base by encouraging investment in National Security, problem identification and solving, protecting, and growing critical skills such as technology. Furthermore, the NSS intends to protect Americans by improving agility, and integration, enhancing cyber expertise and tools, response, attribution, and accountability. Finally, it highlights, the need to leverage intelligence through fuse analysis and information, information harnessing, and education, and training to understand better.
While these strategies are generally effective, some additional recommendations and tweaks would tailor the NSS in favor of the Air Force. First, the Airforce has a significant infrastructure challenge, especially due to the lack of supporting bases with facilities, people, and adequately equipped systems to facilitate execution. According to Sloan et al. (2021), lacking an organized, ready network of bases could set the Air Force up for detriment, especially since it is critical for operational success. In response, I would recommend prioritizing the infrastructural needs of the Air Force, including airfields, bases, and aircraft. This strategy can be accomplished by increasing the Air Force budget to accommodate relevant expenses, investing in infrastructural maintenance even during stable times, and using the best manpower to develop them, enhancing durability.
Furthermore, while the Air Force, has been enhancing diversity and inclusion in its workforce, there is still significant disparity in its demographic makeup. Diversity is an asset to any military organization since it contributes to readiness, and fosters cohesion and morale. However, according to Chen (2021), the active-duty Airforce constitutes around 71% white, 4.3% Asian American, 15% African American, 1.2 native Hawaiian, 16% Hispanic, and less than 1% American Indian populations. Notably, only 60% of the American population is white, while African Americans and Hispanics constitute 12.2% and 18.5%. On the other hand, Asians constitute 5.6%, while American Indians and Native Hawaiians make up less than 1% of the population. Moreover, the promotion rate for minorities, especially women, was below average for their white counterparts. On the other hand, women constitute about 21% of the force when they make up more than 50% of the national population. Thus, I would recommend integrating further diversity in the Air Force. This could be accomplished through regular recruiting that aligns with the demographics, diversifying senior positions, and identifying and removing hindrances that bar various demographics from joining the force.
On the other hand, the Air Force should leverage technology through innovation and investment in R&D. Modernizing current technology is not enough to guarantee national security. Integrating new, disruptive technologies that could enhance its capabilities, especially microelectronics, will guarantee a higher position in the global context, ultimately safeguarding American success (Armstrong et al., 2019). However, such improvements require prototyping systems integration, viable research, technology maturation, and capability evaluation, which necessitate adequate funding. Thus, increasing the Air Force budget to accommodate steady, sustainable growth will improve its workings. Additionally, seeking candidates from institutions within and without the United States with viable skills and talent to spearhead viable innovation and creativity.
Finally, Air Force could leverage 21st-century deterrence techniques to maintain an upper hand. Deterrence discourages unwelcome action from rivals and is achieved through denial or the threat of retaliation. Deterrence techniques could include operational unpredictability, artificial intelligence, nuclear power, and stronger alliances. For instance, in the modern-day where the third world war is impending, investing in deterrence will protect all military bodies, including the Air Force, by discouraging rival attacks. For instance, creating stronger alliances helps to facilitate threat communication, creates the threat of retaliation, and alludes to possible intervention of a rival attack against one of the allies.
Feedback received/ question asked based on my submitted discussion: How would you state the core of this in a National Security Strategy (NSS that is the highest level strategy possible focused on applying all national power?
