Air Force Doctrine Publication 1

Airpower Studies
Student Name
University
Course
Professor Name
Date
Airpower Studies
CSAF PERSPECTIVE ON DOCTRINE
XX MONTH YEAR
Our Nation needs an Air Force that can fly, fight, and win as part of the joint team. Commanders must articulate intent and prepare to take the initiative in dynamic, contested environments. Doctrine offers an agreed upon, operationally relevant body of best practices and principles that articulates how we fight, captures our airpower experience, and guides how we operate within a joint force. It provides a starting point, so we don’t reinvent the wheel with every operation and allows us to continue to be the world’s most capable Air Force.
In today's complex global security environment, victory goes to the rapid integrator of ideas. These ideas are driven by training and the distilled knowledge all Airmen bring to the fight. I’m relying on every Airman to innovate and incorporate concepts and technologies that will develop new best practices to shape future doctrine. We must prioritize and make difficult choices as we field a lethal, resilient, and rapidly adapting joint force. Leaders must push decisions to the lowest competent, capable level using doctrine as a foundation for sound choices.
Doctrine is an opportunity to educate, empower, and prepare for the future fight. It guides us, but does not bind us. I’m relying on every Airman to understand the lessons of doctrine, and then draw on them to innovate and incorporate concepts and technologies that will develop new best practices to shape future doctrine. This is how we solve difficult problems, make necessary changes, and how we accelerate change in our Air Force.
The tools in doctrine provide an excellent opportunity to build our foundation for future Airmen and forge unbeatable airpower for our Nation. Airmen should read, understand, contemplate, and prepare for the full spectrum of operations, from competition to armed conflict. Never forget General LeMay’s words: “At the very heart of warfare lies doctrine.”
CHARLES Q. BROWN, JR.
General, USAF
Chief of Staff, United States Air Force
PREFACE
Air Force doctrine is the extant and emerging best practices in the application of airpower. Doctrine describes the operations and activities that create convergence of effects across the competition continuum. Doctrine is organized as basic, operational, and tactical level doctrine. Basic doctrine states the most fundamental and enduring beliefs describing airpower and the Airman’s perspective. Operational doctrine describes more detailed organization of forces and applies the principles of basic doctrine to military actions. Tactical doctrine is contained in Air Force and Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures publications.
Blue underlined text denotes a hyperlink to another source document, normally Air Force or joint operational doctrine, for additional discussion.
Air Force Doctrine Publication (AFDP) 1, The Air Force, forms the basis of our Service culture. It defines airpower, as the ability to project military power through control and exploitation in, from and through the air. Airpower is employed to achieve joint force commander (JFC) objec...