Chapter 4: AF Doctrine, AEF and Joint Force

AF Ops - Strategic Attack

"Offensive action that is specifically selected to achieve national or military strategic objectives. These attacks seek to weaken the adversary's ability or will to engage in conflict, and may achieve strategic objectives without necessarily having to achieve operational objectives as a precondition." It involves the systematic application of force against enemy systems and their centers of gravity, thereby producing the greatest effect for the least cost in lives, resources, and time. Vital systems affected may include leadership, critical processes, popular will and perception, and fielded forces. It provides an effective capability that may drive an early end to conflict or achieve objectives more directly or efficiently than other applications of military power. It seizes upon the unique capability of airpower to achieve objectives by striking at the heart of the enemy, disrupting critical leadership functions, infrastructure, and strategy, while at the same time avoiding a sequential fight through layers of forces.

The Airman's Perspective.

1. Control of the vertical dimension is generally a necessary precondition for control of the surface. The first mission of an AF is to defeat or neutralize enemy air forces so friendly operations on land, sea, in the air, and in space can proceed unhindered, and to protect one's own military forces and critical vulnerabilities from air attack. 2. Airpower is an inherently strategic force. War and peace are decided, organized, planned, supplied, and commanded at the strategic level of war. Airpower can hold an enemy's centers of gravity and critical vulnerabilities directly at risk immediately and continuously. Airpower also has great strategic capability for nonlethal strategic influence, as in humanitarian relief and security cooperation activities. 3. Airpower can exploit the principles of mass and maneuver simultaneously to a far greater extent than surface forces are able. There are no natural lateral boundaries in the vertical environment to prevent Airmen from concentrating air, space, and cyberspace power at any point, and from doing so very quickly, even when starting from widely dispersed locations. Airpower dominates the fourth dimension—time—and compresses events to produce physical and psychological shock. 4. Airpower can apply force against any facet of enemy power. AF-provided capabilities can be brought to bear on an enemy's diplomatic, informational, military, economic, and social structures simultaneously or separately. They can be employed in support of national, combined/joint, or other component objectives. They can be integrated with surface power or employed independently. 5. AF forces are less culturally intrusive in many scenarios. Surface forces are composed of many people and vehicles which, when arrayed for operations, cover a significant area. Thus, their presence may be very visible to local populations and may create resentment during certain types of stability operations. Airpower, operating from bases over the horizon or from just a few bases in country, has a smaller footprint for the effects it provides. 6. Airpower's inherent speed, range, and flexibility combine to make it the most versatile component of military power. Its versatility allows it to be rapidly employed against strategic, operational, and tactical objectives simultaneously. The versatility of airpower derives not only from the inherent characteristics of air forces themselves, but also from the manner in which they are organized and controlled. 7. Airpower results from the effective integration of capabilities, people, weapons, bases, logistics, and all supporting infrastructure. No one aspect of air, space, and cyberspace capabilities should be treated in isolation because each element is essential and interdependent. Ultimately, airpower depends on the performance of the people who operate, command, and sustain air, space, and cyberspace forces. 8. The choice of appropriate capabilities is a key aspect in the realization of airpower. Weapons should be selected based on their ability to influence an adversary's capability and will. Achieving the full potential of airpower requires timely, actionable intelligence and sufficient command and control capabilities to permit commanders to exploit speed, range, flexibility, and versatility. 9. Supporting bases, with their people, systems, and facilities, are essential to launch, recover, and sustain airpower. One of the most important characteristics of airpower has proved to be its ability to move anywhere in the world quickly, and then rapidly begin operations. However, the need for mobility should be balanced against the need to operate at the deployment site. The availability and operability of suitable bases can be the dominant factor in employment planning and execution. 10. Airpower's unique characteristics necessitate that it be centrally controlled by Airmen. Airpower can quickly intervene anywhere, whether for strategic or tactical purposes. Thus, Airmen must take a broader view of war, because the weapons they command have effects at broader levels of war.

Doctrine

A collection of beliefs, distilled through experience and passed on from one generation of Airmen to the next that guide how we operate. It is our codified practices on how best to employ air and space power.

Designed Operational Capabilities Statement

A dcument prepared by a parent MAJCOM that outlines each measured unit's capabilities and contains the unit's identification, mission tasking narrative, mission specifics, and measurable resources. It is used for the purposes of organizing, training and equipping the unit. It is not a tasking document for crisis operations.

AF Ops - Cyberspace

A man-made domain, and is therefore unlike the natural domains of air, land, maritime, and space. It requires continued attention from humans to persist and encompass the features of specificity, global scope, and emphasis on the electromagnetic spectrum. These space nodes physically reside in all domains. Activities in this space can enable freedom of action for activities in the other domains, and activities in the other domains can create effects in and through this domain.

AF Ops - Counterair

A mission that integrates offensive and defensive ops to attain and maintain a desired degree of air superiority. Counterair ops are conducted across all domains and determine the level or degree of air control.

AEF Online

A nonsecure internet protocol router hosting: The CC's Toolkit, The Personal Deployment Preparedness Tool, and The AEF Unit Type Code Reporting Tool

AEF Online - CCs Toolkit

A nonsecure internet protocol router-net based system that provides information on deployment readiness, including IMR data at the unit level for CCs via the tab on every page of AEF Online. This tool was specifically built for base-level CCs, UDMs, and other key staff, to monitor and manage the deployment status of their units and e-mail unit members with outstanding requirements directly from the tool.

Mission Capability Statement

A short paragraph describing the mission capabilities that HHQs planners expect of a specific UTC. The statement usually contains pertinent information such as the type of base where CCs will deploy the unit, the unit's functional activities, and other augmentation requirements necessary to conduct specific missions.

AF Doctrine

A statement of officially sanctioned beliefs, war-fighting principles, and terminology that describes and guides the proper use of air, space, and cyberspace power in military operations. It is what we have come to understand, based on our experiences to date. It is developed by the LeMay Center for DD&E at Maxwell AFB, AL.

Joint Operation Planning and Execution System

A system of joint policies, procedures, and reporting structures supported by communications and computer systems. It is used by joint planners to monitor, plan, and execute planning activities during peace and crisis. This system allows for the effective management of ops in execution across the spectrum of mobilization, deployment, employment, sustainment, redeployment, and demobilization. All joint, conventional TPFD databases are developed by and reside in this system.

AETF

Air Force forces are presented to a JF CC as one of these or may be composed of the air component to the JTF or combatant CC as the C-NAF or C- MAJCOM.

Tenants of Air Power - Persistence

Air, space, and cyberspace ops may be conducted continuously against a broad spectrum of targets. Airpower's exceptional speed and range allow its forces to visit and revisit wide ranges of targets nearly at will. Airpower does not have to occupy terrain or remain constantly in proximity to areas of operation to bring force upon targets. Space forces in particular hold the ultimate high ground, and as space systems advance and proliferate, they offer the potential for persistent overhead access; unmanned aircraft systems are offering similar possibilities within the atmosphere. Examples of persistent ops might be maintaining a continuous flow of materiel to peacetime distressed areas; AF ISR capabilities monitoring adversaries to ensure they cannot conduct actions counter to those agreed upon; assuring that targets are kept continually out of commission; or ensuring that resources and facilities are denied an enemy or provided to an ally during a specified time. The end result would be to deny the opponent an opportunity to seize the initiative and to directly accomplish assigned tasks.

AF Ops - Counterland

Airpower ops against enemy land force capabilities to create effects that achieve JFC objectives. The aim of these ops is to dominate the surface environment using airpower. By dominating the surface environment, these ops can assist friendly land maneuvers while denying the enemy the ability to resist. Although most frequently associated with support to friendly surface forces, these operations may also be conducted independent of friendly surface force objectives or in ops where no friendly land forces are present. The JFC has two distinct means for engaging enemy land forces that support these ops. 1. Air interdiction, in which airpower indirectly supports land forces or directly supports JFC objectives in the absence of friendly land forces. 2. CAS, in which airpower directly supports land maneuver.

AEF Indicator

All Airmen will be given one if these within 15-days of DAS. For individuals assigned to readily available forces, this will correspond to the same AEF period as the unit's UTC. For individuals assigned to the Institutional Force, this will correspond to an AEF vulnerability period determined by the Airman's CC or equivalent. Except in cases of reaching forward, individuals will deploy during their associated AEF vulnerability period. Changing this for individual's will be done only under extenuating circumstances, along with PCS or PCA. Association Review. Prior to the start of each AEF Schedule, unit CCs will review these codes of assigned Airmen to ensure they match unit type code alignment. In the case of the institutional force, organization CCs (or equivalent) will review the codes to ensure equal distribution across the 5 vulnerability periods to the maximum extent possible while meeting the needs of the organization.

Tenants of Air Power - Flexibility and Versatility

Although often used interchangeably, these are different.

Tenants of Air Power - Balance

An essential guideline for air CCs. Much of the skill of an air component CC is reflected in the dynamic and correct balancing of the principles of war and the tenets of airpower to bring AF capabilities together to produce a synergistic effect. An air component CC should balance combat opportunity, necessity, effectiveness, efficiency, and the impact on accomplishing assigned objectives against the associated risk to friendly forces. An Airman is uniquely—and best—suited to determine the proper theater-wide balance between offensive and defensive operations, and among strategic, operational, and tactical applications. Air, space, and cyberspace assets are normally available only in finite numbers; thus, balance is a crucial determinant for an air component CC.

Installation Personnel Readiness

An office in the FSS responsible for providing installation wide personnel deployment planning and execution and personnel support in matters pertaining to; deployment availability information, personnel accountability, and duty status reporting for contingency, exercise, and deployments. Responsibilities are covered in the following 5 categories: planning, global command and control system, accountability, deployment processing, and general.

Unit Deployment Manager

Appointed by the unit CC to manage all deployment readiness and training aspects for deployable personnel and equipment within their unit to ensure they are deployment ready. In addition, these individuals support redeployed personnel in the redeployment support process, and serve as the primary liaison to the UTM, flight/squadron leadership, wing training functions regarding deployment related issues, and IDRC.

Good Doctrine informs and allows flexibility

Bad doctrine overly binds and restricts creativity. If not properly developed, and especially if parochialism is allowed to creep in, doctrine will point to suboptimal solutions. Parochialism and other biases can come from within a Service as well as between Services. Professionals will still have honest differences of opinions, but when those opinions are not based on sound war-fighting practices, inefficiency and ineffectiveness frequently result. Good doctrine can help, but it must be intelligently applied.

The Airman's Perspective - Airmindedness

Because of the unique nature of AF forces, this viewpoint is necessarily different; it reflects the range, speed, and capabilities of airpower, as well as threats and survival imperatives unique to Airmen. The study of airpower leads to a particular expertise and a distinctive point of view that General Henry H. ("Hap") Arnold termed. This viewpoint is much harder to convey than of soldiers, sailors, and marines for several reasons. Their viewpoint—bounded by the apparent horizon—is part of everyday life and instinctive understanding. Yet few have ever operated an aircraft or contemplated the problems of aerial warfare, and few popular sources of information realistically reflect this.

Tenants of Air Power - Priority

CCs should establish clear priorities for the use of airpower. Due to its inherent flexibility, the demands for airpower may likely exceed available resources. If CCs fail to establish priorities, they can become ineffective. CCs of all components need to effectively prioritize their requirements for coordinated airpower effects to the JFC, and only then can effective priorities for the use of airpower flow from an informed dialogue between the JFC and the air component CC. The air component CC should assess the possible uses of component forces and their strengths and capabilities to support the overall joint campaign. Limited resources require that airpower be applied where it can make the greatest contribution to the most critical current JFC requirements. The application of airpower should be balanced among its ability to conduct ops at all levels of war, often simultaneously. The war principles of MASS, OFFENSIVE, and ECONOMY OF FORCE, the tenet of CONCENTRATION, and the AIRMAN's PERSPECTIVE all apply to prioritizing airpower.

Principle of War - Simplicity

Calls for avoiding unnecessary complexity in organizing, preparing, planning, and conducting military operations. This ensures that guidance, plans, and orders are as simple and direct as the objective will allow. This guidance allows subordinate commanders the freedom to operate creatively within their portion of the operational environment, supporting the concept of decentralized execution. Common equipment, a common understanding of Service and joint doctrine, and familiarity with procedures through joint exercises and training, can help overcome complexity. Straightforward plans and unambiguous organizational and command relationships are central to reducing complexity as well.

Installation Deployment Readiness Cell

Centralized function aligned under the LRS CC and located within the LRS responsible for identifying, validating, and distributing deployment taskings and information. It is the day-to-day focal point for all deployment and execution ops. The permanent staff consists of the IDO, LRS/Logistics Plans and Integration, and Force Support Squadron/Personnel Readiness Flight personnel.

Principle of War - Mass

Concentrates the effects of combat power at the most advantageous place and time to achieve decisive results. Concentration of military power is a fundamental consideration in all military operations. At the operational level of war, this principle suggests that superior, concentrated combat power is used to achieve decisive results.

Doctrine

Consists of the fundamental principles by which military forces guide their actions in support of national objectives; it is the linchpin of succesful military operations. It also provides us with common terminology, conveying precision in expressing our ideas. It should be used with judgment. It must never be dismissed out of hand or through ignorance of its principles, nor should it be employed blindly without due regard for the mission and situation at hand. On the other hand, following doctrine to the letter is not the fundamental intent. Rather, good doctrine is somewhat akin to a good "commander's intent": it provides sufficient information on what to do, but does not specifically say how to do it. We must strive above all else to be doctrinally sound, not doctrinally bound.

The Institutional Force

Consists of those forces assigned to organizations responsible for SecAF-directed Title 10 functions at the AF level (such as organize, train, equip, recruit, supply, etc.). Examples of these forces include: MTIs, technical school instructors, and personnel assigned to MAJCOMs and HQs staff. These organizations will not posture unit type codes in the AEF capability library, unless a waiver is granted by HAF. Although these organizations do not represent a war-fighting capability, the individuals assigned to these organizations are deployable.

Operational Doctrine

Contained in the annexes, it describes more detailed organization of forces and applies the principles of basic doctrine to military actions. It guides the proper organization and employment of air, space, and cyberspace forces in the context of distinct objectives, force capabilities, broad functional areas, and operational environments. It provides the focus for developing the missions and tasks that must be executed through tactical doctrine.

AF Ops - Airspace Control

Defined as "a process used to increase operational effectiveness by promoting the safe, efficient, and flexible use of airspace." Properly employed, airspace control maximizes the effectiveness of combat operations while minimally impacting and without unduly restricting the capabilities of any Service or functional component. Never static, airspace control operations may begin prior to combat operations, continue after, and may transition through varying degrees of civil and military authority. These procedures within the joint ops area are approved by the JFC and are derived entirely from the JFC's authority. Airspace control does not infringe on the authority vested in CCs to approve, disapprove, or deny combat ops. It is extremely dynamic and situational, but to optimize airspace use, that control should accommodate users with varied technical capabilities. In addition to expected threat levels, the available surveillance, navigation, and communication technical capabilities of both the airspace users and controlling agencies often determine the nature of the airspace coordinating measures used.

AF Ops - Irregular Warfare

Defined as "a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant population(s). Information warfare favors indirect and asymmetric approaches, though it may employ the full range of military and other capacities in order to erode an adversary's power, influence, and will." 1. The US' overwhelming dominance in recent conventional wars has made it highly unlikely that adversaries, especially those state and non-state actors with less-robust military capabilities, will choose to challenge the US in traditional force-on-force engagements. Irregular forms of warfare have become attractive, if not the most preferred options for adversaries such as terrorists, insurgents, criminal networks, and non-friendly states to credibly challenge US interests and national security. 2. Both information warfare and traditional warfare seek to resolve conflict by compelling change in adversarial behavior. However, they differ significantly in both strategy and conduct. Traditional warfare focuses on dominance over an adversary's ability to sustain its warfighting capability. Information warfare focuses on population-centric approaches that affect actors, behaviors, relationships, and stability in the area or region of interest. Therefore, information warfare requires a different level of operational thought and threat comprehension. 3. As an integral part of the information warfare campaign, the AF is prepared to support and conduct principal information warfare activities or operations that may be undertaken in sequence, in parallel, or blended within a coherent campaign to address irregular threats. 5 such principal activities include: foreign internal defense, unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and stability ops. Additionally, there is a host of key related activities including SF assistance, information ops, civil-mil ops, support to law enforcement, Intell, medical, and counterintelligence ops, all of which may be used to counter irregular threats. 4. Across the range of information warfare scenarios a set of overarching concepts provide a foundation for planning and employing AF capabilities. These do not apply to all conceivable situations. However, they do represent broad concepts that Airmen should consider. These overarching concepts either reflect a best practice in evolving information warfare concepts or are based on significant lessons learned from ops that failed to meet expectations.

AF Ops - Close Air Support (Counterland)

Defined as "air action by fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces and that require detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of those forces"(JP 3-0).

AF Ops - Air Interdiction (Counterland)

Defined as "air operations conducted to divert, disrupt, delay, or destroy the enemy's military potential before it can be brought to bear effectively against friendly forces, or to otherwise achieve JFC objectives. It is conducted at such distance from friendly forces that detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of friendly forces is not required."

AF Ops - Electronic Warfare

Defined as "military action involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the enemy" The term 'electromagnetic spectrum" refers to "the full range of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation from near zero to infinity. It is divided into 26 alphabetically designated bands." These ops may include friendly force use of the electromagnetic spectrum, attacks on adversaries, and denying enemy exploitation efforts. Coordinating these ops have historically been an important element in all ops and takes on an increasingly important role as use of the electromagnetic spectrum grows. 1. It is waged to secure and maintain freedom of action in the electromagnetic spectrum. Military forces depend on the electromagnetic spectrum for many applications including, but not limited to, communication, detection, identification, and targeting. Its effective application is in support of mission objectives is critical to the ability to find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess the adversary, while denying that adversary the same ability. Planners, operators, acquisition specialists, and others involved with AF this warfare should understand the technological advances and proliferation of threat systems to enable friendly use of the electromagnetic spectrum and protect US forces. 2. When improperly coordinated, it can disrupt our own C2. Modern military forces rely heavily on a variety of complex electronic offensive and defensive capabilities. This is a specialized capability that enhances many air, space, and cyberspace functions at all levels of conflict. Proper employment of this enhances CCs' ability to achieve operational superiority over the adversary. Modern weapons and support systems employ radio, radar, wireless networks and datalinks, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, electro-optical, and DE technologies. CCs should prepare to operate weapons systems in an intensive and nonpermissive electromagnetic environment. This may be aggravated by both intentional and unintentional emissions from friendly, neutral, and enemy forces. Unfettered access to selected portions of the electromagnetic spectrum can be critical for mission effectiveness and protection of critical assets.

AF Ops - Airlift (Air Mobility)

Defined as "operations to transport and deliver forces and materiel through the air in support of strategic, operational, or tactical objectives." It provides rapid, flexible, and secure transportation. Because it is a high demand asset, it should be used carefully when satisfying warfighter requirements.

AF Ops - Special Operations

Defined as "ops requiring unique modes of employment, tactical techniques, equipment and training often conducted in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and characterized by one or more of the following: time sensitive, clandestine, low visibility, conducted with and/or through indigenous forces, requiring regional expertise, and/or a high degree of risk." 1. These ops typically differ from conventional operations in the operational techniques and the small size of the friendly force (compared to the enemy), degree of physical and political risk, relative independence from friendly support, mode of employment, reliance on detailed and perishable intelligence, extensive use of indigenous assets, and preference toward detailed planning and rehearsals. 2. These AF ops forces should complement and not compete with, nor be a substitute for conventional forces. As an example, an AC-130 gunship should not be employed when a conventional aircraft would be more appropriate for the target and the operational conditions. The need for an opportunity to attack or engage strategic or operational targets with small units drives the formation of special units with specialized, highly focused capabilities. Although not always decisive on their own, when properly employed, these ops can be designed and conducted to create conditions favorable to US strategic goals and objectives. Often, these ops may require clandestine or low visibility capabilities. 3. These AF ops forces are composed of special ops aviation units (including unmanned aircraft systems), battlefield Airmen (including combat control teams, pararescue teams, special ops weather teams, and select tactical air control party units), dedicated special op forces Intell, surveillance, reconnaissance units, aviation foreign internal defense, and support capabilities such as C2, information ops / military information support ops, and combat support functions. 4. C2 of these forces is normally executed within their own chain of command. The C2 structure for these forces depends on objectives, security requirements, and the operational environment. In complex environments, these forces have found supporting to supported command relationships are extremely agile and beneficial to both these ops forces and conventional forces.

AF Ops - Cyberspace Operations

Defined as "the employment of cyberspace capabilities where the primary purpose is to achieve military objectives or effects in or through cyberspace." These ops are defined as "a global domain within the information environment consisting of the interdependent network of information technology infrastructures, including the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers." These ops are not synonymous with information ops. Information operation is a set of ops that can be performed in this space and other domains. Ops in this space can directly support information ops and non-cyber based information ops can affect these ops.

AF Ops - Homeland Defense

Defined as "the protection of US sovereignty, territory, domestic population, and critical defense infrastructure against external threats and aggression or other threats as directed by the POTUS." For the AF, these ops involve significant counterair emphasis and may be supported by preemptive actions through global strike ops against threats to the US homeland or US forces and installations throughout the world. In addition, special ops forces operating to locate, characterize, and secure weapons of mass destruction provide another option to defend and respond against weapons of mass destruction attacks or threats. Cyber defense capabilities are continuing to develop, and may also be employed to support and defend US assets. 2. A key distinction between Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities is DoD is the lead federal agency, while in Defense Support of Civil Authorities, another federal organization is the lead federal agency, with DoD acting in support.

AF Ops - Air Refueling (Air Mobility)

Defined as "the refueling of an aircraft in flight by another aircraft." It extends presence, increases range, and serves as a force multiplier. This significantly expands the options available to a CC by increasing the range, payload, persistence, and flexibility of receiver aircraft.

AF Ops - Personnel Recovery

Defined as "the sum of military, diplomatic, and civil efforts to effect the recovery and return of US Military, Dept of Defense civilians, and Dept of Defense contractor personnel who are isolated or missing while participating in a US government- sanctioned military activity or missions in an uncertain or hostile environment, or as determined by the SecDef." The AF organizes, trains, and equips personnel to conducts these ops using the fastest and most effective means. These AF ops forces deploy to recover personnel or equipment with specially outfitted aircraft/vehicles, specially trained aircrews and ground recovery teams in response to geographic combatant CC taskings. Although traditionally these ops assets have focused on the recovery of downed aircrews, recent experiences suggest that AF these ops forces are responsible for the recovery of any isolated personnel. The AF also provides these unique capabilities to combatant CCs. The primary mission of these AF ops is to use a combination of specially trained Airmen and unique equipment to recover any isolated personnel. By virtue of the inherent capabilities of these ops forces, they can accomplish other collateral missions. Historically, these collateral missions have included: casualty evacuation, civil search and rescue, counter-drug operations, emergency aeromedical evacuation, homeland security, humanitarian relief, international aid, noncombatant evacuation operations, support for National Aeronautics and Space Administration flight operations, infiltration and exfiltration of personnel in support of air component CC missions, and special ops missions, including personnel recovery of special ops forces.

AF Ops - Air Control (Counterair)

Describes a level of influence in the air domain relative to that of an adversary, and is categorized as parity, superiority, or supremacy. The level of air control can range from a parity (or neutral) situation, where neither adversary can claim control over the other, to local superiority in a specific area, to supremacy over an entire operational area. Levels of control may vary over time. 1. Air parity. A condition in the air battle in which one force does not have air superiority over others. This represents a situation in which both friendly and adversary land, maritime, and air operations may encounter significant interference by the opposing air force. Parity is not a "standoff," nor does it mean aerial maneuver has halted. On the contrary, parity is typified by fleeting, intensely contested battles at critical points during an operation with maximum effort exerted between combatants in their attempt to achieve some level of favorable control. 2. Air superiority. "That degree of dominance in the air battle of one force over another that permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, air, and space forces at a given time and place without prohibitive interference by the opposing force" (JP 1-02). Air superiority may be localized in time and space, or it may be broad and enduring. 3. Air supremacy. "That degree of dominance in the air battle of one force over another that permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, air, and space forces at a given time and place without effective interference by the opposing force." Air supremacy may be localized in time and space, or it may be broad and enduring. This is normally the highest level of air control to which air forces can aspire.

Tactical Doctrine

Describes the proper employment of specific USAF assets, individually or in concert with other assets, to accomplish detailed objectives. It considers particular objectives and conditions and describes how AF assets are employed to accomplish the tactical objective. It is codified as TTPs in 3-series manuals. Because it is closely associated with employment of technology and emerging tactics, change may occur more rapidly than to the other levels of doctrine.

Principle of War - Unity of Command

Ensures concentration of effort for every objective under one responsible CC. Airpower's operational-level perspective calls for this to gain the most effective and efficient application. Coordination may be achieved by cooperation; it is, however, best achieved by vesting a single CC w/ the authority to direct all force employment in pursuit of a common objective. The essence of successful operations is a coordinated and cooperative effort toward a commonly understood objective. In many operations, the wide-ranging interagency and nongovernmental organization operations involved may dilute this; nevertheless, a unity of effort must be preserved to ensure common focus and mutually supporting actions. It is vital in employing airpower. Airpower is the product of multiple capabilities, and centralized control is essential to effectively fuse these capabilities and provide this. Airmen inherently understand the entire range of airpower.

AF Ops - Homeland Operations

For the AF, these ops are the umbrella construct through which it supports homeland defense, defense support of civil authorities, and emergency preparedness. It incorporates all ops planning and execution designed to detect, preempt, respond to, mitigate, and recover from the full spectrum of incidents and threats to the homeland, whether man-made or natural. The geographic homeland boundaries include the 50 states, four territories, and numerous island possessions. The US also enjoys exclusive sovereignty 12 miles out to sea and exercises responsibilities extending 200 miles from the coast.

Doctrine is about what's important, not who's important

Good doctrine should point to the important things a commander should do and explain why they should be done. It should not be an advertisement for any particular element of the United States Air Force, nor assert the relative value of any one Service over another. Different parts of the United States Armed Forces do different things, and each has its own utility depending on the situation. It's all about the right capability to best accomplish the mission.

The Enabler Force

Includes common user assets, such as global mobility forces, special ops forces, and personnel recovery forces, space forces, and other uniquely categorized forces that provide support to authorized organizations within and outside the DoD. Most high demand/low supply assets, National Air Mobility System, and Theater Air Control System elements are postured as enabler forces and will rotate as operational requirements dictate. Due to their unique nature, these forces do not operate within a 24-month life cycle and cannot be easily aligned in AEF battle rhythm; however, every effort must be made to develop a sustainable plan by the HAF/MAJCOM FAMs as a part of the enabler nomination request package.

P-codes

Indicate the number of UTCs that are required for assigned/committed missions, critical home station requirements, and the number of UTCs available to be simultaneously tasked for deployment. 1. DP. The minimum number of UTCs required to accomplish the unit's assigned/committed missions either deployed or in-place. Assigned/committed missions include combatant CC missions as well as those of external organizations/agencies that the unit must accomplish. 2. DX. Represents the minimum number of UTC requirements to support critical home station ops. These missions are not associated with the assigned/committed mission; failure to accomplish these missions would not impact the assigned/committed mission requirements of the unit. 3. DW. Represents the maximum number of UTC requirements available to support combatant CC's rotational mission.

AF Ops - Airspace Control

It is essential to accomplishing the JFC's objectives. It allows all users to access needed airspace while preventing conflicts among those competing users. To better organize operational airspace three characterizations exist: 1. Permissive Combat Airspace: A low risk exists for US and coalition aircraft ops within the airspace of interest. Ops can expect little to no use of adversary electronic warfare, communications jamming, anti-aircraft systems, or aircraft. Air superiority or air supremacy has been achieved. 2. Contested Combat Airspace: A medium risk exists to US and coalition aircraft within the airspace of interest. Expect the enemy to employ fighters, anti-aircraft systems, and electronic jamming. US and coalition aircraft can achieve localized air superiority for ops within portions of the airspace. Enemy air defense assets are neither fully integrated nor attired. 3. Denied-Access Combat Airspace: A high risk exists for many, but not all, US and coalition aircraft from integrated air defense systems, radars, anti-aircraft systems, electronic warfare, and fighter aircraft. The airspace is characterized by pervasive enemy activity. Expect ops to result in high losses or denial of sustained ops until a measure of air superiority can be achieved.

AEF Doctrine

It is not only vital to understand how to best employ air and space power, but it is also vital to understand the proper way to organize, present, and deploy air and space forces. It is the mechanism for managing and scheduling forces for expeditionary use.

AF Ops - Space Superiority (Space Ops)

It may be localized in time and space, or it may be broad and enduring. Airmen should understand these capabilities are vital to joint campaign and operational planning. Integration of these capabilities occurs within AF, joint, and combined operations in uncontested, contested, and denied environments, and throughout the range of military ops. Since these assets like GPS and Military Strategic and Tactical Relay complement existing capabilities (e.g., navigation aids, long haul communication), these capabilities are inherently cross-domain integrated. The synergistic effect of combining these capabilities with land, maritime, air, and cyberspace capabilities creates an operational advantage for the JFC. These AF ops often rely on partnerships with external organizations including other military services, allies, national and civil agencies, and commercial and foreign enterprises. Integration of partner space capabilities requires diligent establishment of command relationships.

Basic Doctrine

It states the most fundamental and enduring beliefs that describe and guide the proper use, presentation, and organization of AF capabilities in military action. It describes the "elemental properties" of airpower and provides the Airman's perspective. Because of its fundamental and enduring character, it provides broad and continuing guidance on how USAF forces are organized, equipped, sustained, and employed. Because it expresses broad, enduring fundamentals, it changes relatively slowly compared to the other levels. As the foundation of all AF doctrine, it also sets the tone and vision for doctrine development for the future.

Principle of War - Economy of Force

Judicious employment and distribution of forces. Its purpose is to allocate minimum essential resources to secondary efforts. This principle calls for the rational use of force by selecting the best mix of air, space, and cyberspace capabilities. To ensure overwhelming combat power is available, maximum effort should be devoted to primary objectives. At the operational level, CCs ensure that any effort made towards secondary objectives does not degrade achievement of the larger operational or strategic objectives. This principle requires Airmen to maintain a broader operational view even as they seek to obtain clearly articulated objectives and priorities. This principle may require a CC to establish a balance in the application of airpower between attacking, defending, delaying, or conducting other operations such as information operations, depending on the importance of the area or the priority of the objective or objectives. Also, priorities may shift rapidly; friendly troops in contact might drive a change in priority from one type of mission (e.g., interdiction) to another (e.g., close air support). Although this principle suggests the use of overwhelming force in one sense, it also recommends guarding against the "overkill" inherent in the use of more force than reasonably necessary. This is particularly relevant when excessive force can diminish the legitimacy and support for an operation.

Principle of War - Surprise

Leverages the security principle by attacking the enemy at a time, place, or in a manner for which they are not prepared. The speed and range of airpower, coupled with its flexibility and versatility, allow air forces to achieve surprise more readily than other forces. The final choice of timing and tactics rests with the air component commander because terrain and distance are not inhibiting factors. This is one of airpower's strongest advantages. Airpower can enhance and empower surface forces to achieve this. The rapid global reach of airpower also allows surface forces to reach foreign destinations quickly, thus seizing the initiative through this principle. Examples: OPERATION EL DORADO CANYON in Libia; OPERATION DESERT STORM.

AEF Online - AEF UTC Reporting Tool

Measures AEF readiness at UTC level. Force providers are involved in this reporting as tool monitors or as suppliers/receivers of AEF reporting tool reporting information. AFI 10-244, Reporting Status of Aerospace Expeditionary Forces, provides guideline for assessing and reporting UTC capabilities, reporting guidelines, and details daily maintenance requirements. Through their unit AEF reporting tool monitors, CCs report the ability of a UTC to perform its MICAP anywhere in the world at the time of the assessment. AEF reporting tool highlights missing resources and quantifies missing requirements for additional justification when submitting budgets.

Doctrine is about organization, not organizations

Modern warfare demands that disparate parts of different Services, different nations, and even differing functions within a single Service be brought together intelligently to achieve unity of effort and unity of command. However, merely placing different organizations together in an area of operations is insufficient to meet these demands. A single, cohesive organization is required with clearly defined lines of command and commanders with requisite authorities at appropriate levels. Doctrine explains why certain organizational structures are preferred over others and describes effective command relationships and command authorities; this facilitates the rapid standup of joint and service organizations during rapidly evolving situations. Ultimately, doctrine is not about whether one particular element is more decisive than another, nor about positing that element as the centerpiece of joint operations; it's the total, tailored joint force that's decisive. Getting to that effective joint force requires smart organization.

AF Ops - Defense Support of Civil Authorities

Often referred to as civil support, and defined as "DoD support to US civil authorities for domestic emergencies, and for designated law enforcement and other activities." It includes military assistance for civil law enforcement operations in very limited circumstances. For example, Defense Support of Civil authorities missions can include support to the Dept of Justice in preventing or defeating terrorist attacks, or aiding local agency response to natural disasters, among others. In all these missions, various federal, state, or local civilian agencies are responsible for the management of the particular incident.

Tenants of Air Power - Concentration

One of the most constant and important trends throughout military history has been the effort to apply overwhelming power at the decisive time and place. The war principles of MASS and ECONOMY OF FORCE deal directly with this overwhelming power at the right time and the right place (or places). The versatility of airpower with its lethality, speed, and persistence makes it an attractive option for many combat tasks. With capabilities as flexible and versatile as air, space, and cyberspace forces, the demand for them often exceeds the available forces and may result in the fragmentation of the integrated airpower effort in attempts to fulfill the many demands of the operation. Depending on the operational situation, such a course of action may court the triple risk of failing to achieve operational-level objectives, delaying or diminishing the attainment of decisive effects, and increasing the attrition rate of air forces—and consequently risking defeat. Airmen should guard against the inadvertent dilution of airpower effects resulting from high demand.

Joint Warfare / Team Warfare

Over time, the American experience in war increasingly demanded cooperation, coordination, and integration of all US military Services. Today, joint operations are routine and, thus, routinely practiced. Effectively integrated joint forces are able to rapidly and efficiently identify and engage adversary weak points and vulnerabilities, without exposing their own weak points or seams, to ensure mission accomplishment. Whether there are years to prepare and plan (as in the WWII Normandy invasion), months (as in OPERATION DESERT STORM), or only a few weeks (as in OEF), American armed forces must always be ready to operate in smoothly functioning, joint teams.

Principle of War - Manuever

Places the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power in a multidimensional combat space. Airpower's ability to conduct this is not only a product of its speed and range, but also flows from its flexibility and versatility during the planning and execution of operations. Like the principle of offensive, forces the enemy to react, allowing the exploitation of successful friendly operations and reducing friendly vulnerabilities. This Airpower allows engagement anywhere, from any direction, at any time, forcing the adversary to be on guard everywhere. Examples: SUPPORT HOPE in Rwanda, PROVIDE HOPE in Soviet Union, or PROVIDE PROMISE in Bosnia; PACIFIC ANGEL; ALLIED FORCE in Serbia, ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, or IRAQI FREEDOM in Iraq.

AF Ops - Air Mobility Support (Air Mobility)

Provides C2, aerial port, and maintenance for these air forces. It is part of the global air mobility support system. This global system consists of a limited number of permanent en route support locations plus deployable forces that deploy according to a global reach laydown strategy. These forces are divided between USTRANSCOM and geographic combatant commands.

AEF Concept

Provides forces and support on a rotational and relatively more predictable basis. The AEF 'force generation' construct establishes a predictable, standardized battle rhythm to ensure operational forces are organized, trained, equipped, and ready to respond to combatant CCs' requests for forces. Using a rotational capacity construct, deployed units undergo a period of dwell (i.e., time spent at home station) before entering another deployment/mobilization vulnerability period.

AEF Online - The Personal Deployment Preparedness Tool

Provides personalized information at the individual level for all uniformed Airmen. The information provided includes; member's duty status, security clearance, AEF Indicator, medical requirements (immunizations, medical equipment, DAV codes, dental status, PHA and lab requirements), and total force awareness training and tier 2A, expeditionary skills proficiency pre-deployment training requirements extracted from ADLS..

AF Ops - Aeromedical Evacuation (Air Mobility)

Provides time-sensitive en route care of regulated casualties to and between medical treatment facilities using organic and/or contracted aircraft with medical aircrew trained explicitly for that mission. These forces can operate as far forward as aircraft are able to conduct air operations, and in all operating environments. Specialty medical teams may be assigned to work with these aircrew to support patients requiring more intensive en route care.

Principle of War - Security

Purpose is never to permit the enemy to acquire unexpected advantage. Friendly forces and their operations should be protected from enemy action that could provide the enemy with unexpected advantage. The lethal consequences of enemy attack make the security of friendly forces a paramount concern. This principle is critical to the understanding that it embraces physical aspect , operations aspect and the information aspect of environments. Information has always been part of air, land, and sea warfare; now, with the proliferation of advanced communications and computer technologies, it becomes even more central to the outcome of a conflict.

Principle of War - Offensive Action

Purpose is to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative. The aim is to act rather than react and to dictate the time, place, purpose, scope, intensity, and pace of operations. The initiative should be seized as soon as possible. This principle holds that this, or initiative, provides the means for joint forces to dictate operations. Once seized, the initiative should be retained and fully exploited. This principle is particularly significant to airpower because it is best used as an offensive weapon. While defense may be dictated by the combat situation, success in war is generally attained only while on the offensive. Even highly successful defensive air campaigns such as the WWII Battle of Britain were based upon selective offensive engagements.

Operation Plan

Single or series of plans connected to ops to be carried out simultaneously or in succession. They are usually based upon stated assumptions and are in the form of directive employed by higher authority to permit subordinate CCs to prepare supporting plans and orders. Plans are prepared by combatant CCs in response to requirements established by the C, JCS and by CCs of subordinate commands in response to requirements tasked by the establishing unified CC. They are prepared in either complete format of an operation plan, or as a concept plan.

Doctrine is about integration, not just synchronization

Synchronization is the arrangement of military actions in time, space, and purpose to produce maximum relative combat power at a decisive place and time; integration, by comparison, is the arrangement of military forces and their actions to create a force that operates by engaging as a whole. Synchronization is, in essence, deconfliction in time and space between different units. It is a useful means to plan and execute operations and to prevent fratricide. Synchronization emphasizes timing, while integration considers priority and effect to be both efficient and effective with scarce resources. Synchronization is bottom up; integration, on the other hand, starts at the top with a single cohesive plan and works downward. Synchronization is an additive "sum of the parts" model, while integration may produce geometric results. This is not to say that synchronization is bad. For surface forces, it is very useful for managing their scheme of maneuver. However, from an Airman's perspective, synchronization is a tactical tool and doesn't necessarily scale up to the operational level. Thus, Airmen should seek to integrate, not merely synchronize, joint operational planning.

AEF Battle Rhythm

The AEF operates on a 24-month life cycle. This cycle includes periods of normal training, preparation, and deployment vulnerability. For most forces, the majority of this cycle is spent in normal training during which forces concentrate on unit missions and basic proficiency events in accordance with applicable AF directives and AFSC requirements. This may include Joint, AF, or MAJCOM exercise participation such as Red Flag and Silver Flag. Most contingency and deployment training should take place during this period. This training and exercise period is also used to fill the unit's assigned/committed mission requirements, filling contingency requirements for 30 days or less and crisis response needs including humanitarian response ops and OPLANs. Post-deployment reconstitution is included in this period. During the month immediately after deployment, the unit is focused on recovery. PCS or PCS moves into and out of the unit will be de-conflicted to the maximum extent possible to occur during the 3-month period immediately after the vulnerability period. For forces aligned in the Enabler force, unit CCs should develop a deployment schedule that provides a measure of predictability to associated Airmen. However, operational requirements may force deviations from the applicable battle rhythm. MaJCOM vice CCs will ensure appropriate mechanisms are in place to ensure Airmen postured as Enablers are provided a measure of predictability/stability.

AF Ops - Emergency Preparedness

The AF includes this within the Homeland ops umbrella. This is defined as "the measures taken in advance of an emergency to reduce the loss of life and property, and to protect a nation's institutions from all types of hazards through a comprehensive emergency management program of preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery."

AEF

The AF methodology for managing USAF structure that make up the forces presented to a JFCC. 3 principles are the foundation upon which this is structured and executed: transparency, predictability, and equitability. Transparency is the sense that there is no mystery to the process; when, why, and how should be visible and understandable by every Airman. Every AF member is responsible for knowing and understanding it's original structure, how we deploy it today, and our goals for the future. By aligning forces these bands and utilizing the teaming concept our AF is able to determine who goes first, defines our battle rhythm, and provides a logically organized structure during surge periods to support combatant CCs.

AEF

The AF relies on this as a force management tool to sustain capabilities while rapidly responding to emerging crises. The AF supports global combatant CCs requirements through a combination of assigned, attached (rotational), and mobility forces that may be forward deployed, transient, or operating from home station. There are four major elements of the its structure: readily available force, enabler force, in-place support, and institutional force. The first three elements are components that primarily constitute the AF's warfighting capability and are therefore postured in unit type codes.

AF Ops - Nuclear Operations

The AF role in these ops is to organize, train, equip, and sustain forces with the capability to support the national security goals of deterring adversaries from attacking the US and its interests with their nuclear arsenals or other weapons of mass destruction; dissuading competitors from developing weapons of mass destruction; assuring allies and partners of the US' ability and determination to protect them; and holding at risk a specific range of targets. The fundamental purpose of this US arsenal is to deter an enemy's use of its arsenal type or other weapons of mass destruction. The fundamental purpose of this US arsenal is to deter adversaries from attacking the US and its interests with their own arsenals or other weapons of mass destruction; dissuade competitors from developing weapons of mass destruction; and assure allies and partners of the US' ability and determination to protect them. Additionally, our forces of this type assure allies of our continuing commitment to their security, dissuade potential adversaries from embarking on programs or activities that could threaten our vital interests, and defeat threats that are not deterred. The physical employment of these weapons types at any level requires explicit orders from the POTUS. The law of armed conflict does not expressly prohibit the possession or use of nuclear weapons.

AF Operations (18)

The AF supports JFCs by conducting specific airpower operations that provide specific effects. The following is a summary of these operations. Each AF doctrine annex contains more specific discussion on planning, organization, and C2 considerations of their respective topic areas. The order of presentation should not be interpreted to imply any degree of relative importance; all AF operations are necessary in varying degrees, depending on the task at hand.

AF Ops - Space Operations

The AF views this as integral to JF planning and ops. These ops involve superiority and mission assurance in this domain. The essence of this superiority is controlling the ultimate high ground of this domain. However, this superiority is focused on mission assurance rather than dominating or "owning" the domain. The ultimate goal of achieving this superiority should be to maintain our own capabilities in this domain when contested and ensure unhindered mission continuity through any conflict. Joint doctrine defines this superiority as "the degree of dominance in space of one force over another that permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, air, space, and special ops forces at a given time and place without prohibitive interference by the opposing force." The AF further describes this superiority as "the ability to maintain freedom of action in, from, and to space, sufficient to sustain mission assurance."

Deliberate and Crisis Action Planning and Execution Segment

The AF's war-planning system. It provides an AF feed to JOPES. The objective of it is to enable AF-unique operation planning and execution processes which include associated joint policy and procedures. It provides standard data files, formats, application programs, and management procedures used primarily for force planning, sourcing equipment and personnel requirements, transportation feasibility estimation, civil engineering, and medical planning.

AEF Teaming Concept

The Air Force has transitioned to this construct. This construct provides a better teaming concept through larger groupings of UTCs from fewer units/bases in order to allow Airmen to deploy with their supervisors and members of their unit/base. This allows for shared common experiences throughout the deployment process. However, it should be noted, there will be no change to how the AF presents forces (air and space expeditionary task force (rotational), Component-MAJCOM-NAF (in-place)).

Tenants of Air Power - Versatility

The ability to employ airpower effectively at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of warfare and provide a wide variety of tasks in concert with other joint force elements. Airpower, unlike other military forces, has the potential to achieve this unmatched synergy through asymmetric and parallel ops. Space and cyberspace capabilities are especially able to simultaneously support multiple taskings around the globe and support tasks at all levels of warfare.

Tenants of Air Power (7)

The application of airpower is refined by several fundamental guiding truths known as these. They reflect not only the unique historical and doctrinal evolution of airpower, but also the specific current understanding of the nature of airpower. They complement the Principles of War. While the Principles of War provide general guidance on the application of military forces, the tenets provide more specific considerations for the employment of air, space, and cyberspace capabilities. They reflect the specific lessons of airpower capabilities throughout history. These are interconnected, overlapping, and often interlocking. Flexibility and versatility necessitate priorities. Priorities determine synergies, levels of concentration, and degrees of persistence. Balance calculations influence all operations. The combinations and permutations of interrelationships between these are nearly endless, but none of the are more than an empty phrase without the master: centralized control and decentralized execution. The oldest of airpower remains the keystone of success in modern warfare. As with the Principles of War, these require informed judgment in application. They require a skillful blending to tailor them to the ever- changing operational environment.

Fundamental Principles for Joint C2 - COCOM & Support Relationship

The chain of command from the POTUS, through the SecDef to the combatant CC, exercises the following types of command authorities: 1. This is the authority of a combatant CC to perform those functions of command over assigned forces involving organizing and employing commands and forces, assigning tasks, designating objectives, and giving authoritative direction over all aspects of military operations, joint training (or in the case of USSOCOM, training of assigned forces), and logistics necessary to accomplish the missions assigned to the command. It cannot be delegated or transferred. 2. 4. A support relationship is established by a superior CC between subordinate CCs when one organization should aid, protect, complement, or sustain another force. Support may be exercised by CCs at any echelon at or below the combatant command level. This includes the SecDef designating a support relationship between combatant CCs as well as within a combatant command. The designation of supporting relationships is important as it conveys priorities to CCs and staffs that are planning or executing joint ops. The support command relationship is, by design, a somewhat vague but very flexible arrangement. The establishing authority (the common superior CC) is responsible for ensuring that both the supported CC and supporting CCs understand the degree of authority that the supported CC is granted.

Fundamental Principles for Joint C2 - OPCON

The command authority that may be exercised by CCs at any echelon at or below the level of combatant command and may be delegated within the command. It is inherent in combatant command and is the authority to perform those functions of command over subordinate forces involving organizing and employing commands and forces, assigning tasks, designating objectives, and giving authoritative direction necessary to accomplish the mission. It includes authoritative direction over all aspects of military operations and joint training necessary to accomplish missions assigned to the command.

Installation Deployment Officer

The designated military or federal civilian fully qualified logistics readiness officer that acts on behalf of the host installation/wing CC in directing, controlling, coordinating, and executing the deployment of in-place (home station) and aggregated contingency forces and installation deployment exercises (to include tenant units).

AEF Online - AEF UTC Reporting Tool

The only assessment system that reports at the UTC level and is the primary system used to source UTCs for taskings and contingencies. CCs ensure AEF the tool is accurate and up-to-date. Inaccurate tool reporting leads to taskings that exceed capability, shortfalls/reclamas, delays in filling combatant CC requirements, and Airmen receiving short-notice taskings. CCs conduct two types of UTC assessments in the tool: Readiness Assessments and Tasking Assessments. Readiness stoplight assessments (Green, Yellow, or Red) indicate whether a UTC can perform its MICAP statement anywhere in the world at the time of the assessment. To report accurately, CCs and unit tool Monitors, who may also be the UDM, must know their UTCs requirements and the status of their personnel and equipment and actions required to bring all UTC to "Green".

Readily Available Force

The primary pool from which the AF fulfills Global Force Management Allocation Plan requirements. To meet these requirements, the AF aligns its warfighting capabilities (i.e. forces from combat, combat support, and combat service support organizations) based on requirements relative to assigned rotational capabilities for each vulnerability period.

Principle of War - Objective

The principle to direct military operations toward a defined and attainable objective that contributes to strategic, operational, and tactical aims. In application, this principle refers to unity of effort in purpose, space, and time. In a broad sense, this principle holds that political and military goals should be complementary and clearly articulated. A clear National Military Strategy provides focus for defining campaign or theater objectives. At the operational level, campaign or theater objectives determine military priorities. This principle is important due to the versatility of airpower. From the outset, airpower can pursue tactical, operational, or strategic objectives, in any combination, or all three simultaneously. By integrating the potential offered by air, space, and cyberspace capabilities, Airmen can overcome the challenges imposed by distance and time. From an Airman's perspective, then, this principle shapes priorities to allow airpower to concentrate on theater or campaign priorities and seeks to avoid the siphoning of force elements to fragmented objectives.

Tenants of Air Power - Synergistic Effects

The proper application of a coordinated force can produce effects that exceed the contributions of forces employed individually. The destruction of a large number of targets through attrition warfare is rarely the key objective in modern war. Instead, the objective is the precise, coordinated application of the various elements of airpower and surface power to bring disproportionate pressure on enemy leaders to comply with our national will (affecting their intent) or to cause functional defeat of the enemy forces (affecting their capability). Airpower's overwhelming ability to observe adversaries allows JFCs to counter enemy movements with unprecedented speed and agility. Airpower is unique in its ability to dictate the tempo and direction of an entire war-fighting effort regardless of the scale of the operation.

AF Ops - Information Operations

The purpose is to affect adversary and potential adversary decision- making with the intent to ultimately affect their behavior. The definition is, "the integrated employment, during military ops, of information-related capabilities in concert with other lines of operation to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp the decision-making of adversaries and potential adversaries while protecting our own." The deliberate targeting of the adversary's decision making process is enabled by understanding the cognitive factors related to their decision-making process, the information that they use, and how they receive and send their information. As an integrating staff function, the objective is to incorporate the use (planning, execution, and assessment) of capabilities that touch (have a relation to) the information used by an adversary decision-maker with the intent of influencing, disrupting, corrupting, or usurping that process. These ops are a means to target an adversary's decision-making process. The decision-making process can be modeled with a cycle of steps referred to as observe, orient, decide, act-loop or OODA loop. The steps of this model occur within the information environment and give three targetable dimensions: 1) informational dimension; 2) physical dimension; and 3) cognitive dimension.

In-place Support

There are two types of this; forces that almost exclusively employ in direct support of a combatant CC mission, and those that represent the minimum number of requirements to support critical home station ops.

Doctrine is about the right force, not just equal shares of the force

This addresses the proper mix of Service components within a joint force. Some believe that a joint force requires equal parts of all the Services. This is incorrect. As one senior USAF officer said, "Joint warfighting is not like Little League baseball, where everybody gets a chance to play." Any given joint force should be tailored appropriately for the task at hand. Some operations will be land centric, others air centric, and others still maritime centric. The composition of the joint force and the tasks assigned to its various elements should reflect the needs of the situation.

Tenants of Air Power - Flexibility

This allows airpower to exploit mass and maneuver simultaneously. It allows airpower operations to shift from one campaign objective to another, quickly and decisively; to "go downtown" on one sortie, then hit fielded enemy forces the next; to re-role assets quickly from a preplanned mission to support an unanticipated need for CAS of friendly TIC with enemy forces.

Doctrine is about effects, not platforms

This focuses on the desired outcome of a particular action, not on the system or weapon itself that provides the effect. For example, doctrine states that Airmen should seek to achieve air superiority, but doctrine does not focus on which platforms should be used to achieve that effect. A parallel example is seen in the recognition that bombers are not "strategic," nor are fighters "tactical." It does not matter if an F-16 or a B-52 accomplishes a given task, whether a particular platform is manned or unmanned, or whether a C-17 or a C- 130 delivers a certain load, or if a particular intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform is airborne or in orbit; the outcome of the mission—the effect achieved—is what's important. Thus, AF doctrine does not explicitly tie specific weapon systems to specific tasks or effects.

Doctrine is about using domains, not owning domains

This illustrates the importance of properly using a domain to obtain the best war-fighting effects, not of carving up the operational environment based on service or functional parochialism. Focusing on using a domain is a vital first step to integration of efforts. "Ownership" arguments eventually lead to suboptimal (and usually at best tactical) application of efforts at the expense of the larger, total effor

Tenants of Air Power - Centralized Control

This is commanding airpower and should be accomplished by an Airman at the air component CC level who maintains a broad focus on the JFC's objectives to direct, integrate, prioritize, plan, coordinate, and assess the use of air, space, and cyberspace assets in any contingency across the range of operations. It empowers the air component CC to respond to changes in the operational environment and take advantage of fleeting opportunities. Some would rather this be just "centralized planning and direction." From an Airman's perspective, "planning and directing" do not convey all aspects of control implied in "centralized control," which maximizes the flexibility and effectiveness of airpower. Thus this concept maximizes the flexibility and effectiveness of airpower; it is pivotal to the determination of continuing advantage. However, it should not become a recipe for micromanagement, stifling the initiative subordinates need to deal with combat's inevitable uncertainties.

UTC

This is the basic building block used in force planning and the deployment of forces. It is a JCS developed and assigned code, five-character alphanumeric designator uniquely identifying each type unit in the Armed Forces, and its force capability with personnel and/or equipment requirements. The assignment of this categorizes each type organization into a class or kind of unit having common distinguishing characteristics. All AF personnel contribute to the AEF and are inherently deployable or employable in-place. Those organizations identified as a Combat, Combat Support, or Combat Service Support or "war-fighting" organizations will posture these. Institutional organizations identified as "other" will not posture these. Posturing is based on an organization's funded military authorizations as shown in UMD.

Tenants of Air Power - Decentralized Execution

This is the delegation of authority to designated lower-level CCs and other tactical-level decision makers to achieve effective span of control and to foster disciplined initiative and tactical flexibility. It allows subordinates, all the way down to the tactical level, to exploit situational responsiveness and fleeting opportunities in rapidly changing, fluid situations. The benefits inherent in this, however, are maximized only when a CC clearly communicates intent. Execution should be decentralized within a C2 architecture that exploits the ability of front-line decision makers (such as strike package leaders, air battle managers, forward air controllers) to make on-scene decisions during complex, rapidly unfolding operations. Modern communications technology may tempt CCs to take direct control of distant events and override the decisions of forward leaders, even when such control is not operationally warranted. This should be resisted at all costs in all functional components—not just air. Despite impressive gains in data exploitation and automated decision aids, a single person cannot, with confidence, achieve and maintain detailed situational awareness when fighting a conflict involving many simultaneous engagements taking place throughout a large area.

AF Ops - Air Mobility

This ops doctrine represents an accumulation of best practices and lessons learned from WWII to the most recent conflicts and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations. These ops support all of the geographic combatant CCs and functional combatant CCs. Joint doctrine defines this as "the rapid movement of personnel, materiel, and forces to and from or within a theater by air." These air forces provide rapid global mobility and conduct these ops. These forces deliver the global reach and global power necessary to achieve US national objectives. The four types of these ops are: Airlift, Air Refueling, Air Mobility Support, Aeromedical Evacuation.

Doctrine is about warfighting, not physics

This principle specifically addresses the perceived differences between operations in air, space, and cyberspace. Air, space, and cyberspace are separate domains requiring exploitation of different sets of physical laws to operate in, but are linked by the effects they can produce together. To achieve a common purpose, air, space, and cyberspace need to be integrated. Therefore, AF doctrine focuses on the best means to obtain war-fighting effects regardless of the domain in which a platform operates. As an example, Airmen should be concerned with the best means of employing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, not whether a particular intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform is airborne or in orbit, or manned or unmanned. This is requisite to achieving true integration across any given collection of forces.

War and Mobilization Plan

This system consists of 5 volumes and associated databases and is the AF's supporting document to the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan. It provides the Air Staff, Air Force planners, and AF CCs with current policies, C, JCS apportioned forces, and planning factors for conducting and supporting ops. It establishes requirements for developing mobilization and planning programs to support and sustain contingency ops and it encompasses all basic functions necessary to match facilities, personnel, and materiel resources with planned wartime activity.

Tenants of Air Power - Centralized Control & Decentralized Execution

This tenant of airpower are critical to effective employment. Indeed, they are the fundamental organizing principles for airpower, having been proven over decades of experience as the most effective and efficient means of employing it. Because of airpower's unique potential to directly affect the strategic and operational levels of war, it should be controlled by a single Airman who maintains the broad, strategic perspective necessary to balance and prioritize the use of a powerful, highly desired yet limited force. A single air component CC, focused on the broader aspects of an operation, can best mediate the competing demands for tactical support against the strategic and operational requirements of the conflict. These tenants of airpower provide broad global or theater-wide focus while allowing operational flexibility to meet military objectives. They assure concentration of effort while maintaining economy of force. They exploit airpower's versatility and flexibility to ensure that it remains responsive, survivable, and sustainable.

Principles of War (9)

Throughout the history of conflict, military leaders have noted certain tendcies to produce military victory. From ancient times to the present, certain "truths" of warfare have emerged. They are "those aspects of warfare that are universally true and relevant." As members of the joint team, Airmen should appreciate how these apply to all forces, but must fully understand them as they pertain to AF forces.

Doctrine is about synergy, not segregation

True integration of effort cannot be achieved by merely carving up the operational environment. While segregation may have some benefit and may appear the simplest way from a command and control viewpoint to manage elements of a diverse joint force, it may actually suboptimize the overall effort. It guarantees that the whole will never be greater than the sum of its parts. For example, Airmen should have access to the entire theater of operations to maximize their ability to achieve the joint force commander's objectives; they should not be restricted from any area due to unnecessarily restrictive fire support coordination measures. Also, segregating the operational environment into smaller areas of operation may create competition for scarce, high- demand, low-density capabilities, and reduce combat effectiveness.

Fundamental Principles for Joint C2

Unity of command means all forces operate under a single CC with the requisite authority to direct all forces employed in pursuit of a common purpose. Unity of effort, however, requires coordination and cooperation among all forces toward a commonly recognized objective, although they are not necessarily part of the same command structure.