Major Michael E. Fischer, Usaf
This study seeks to answer the question, “If a joint force air commander finds it useful or necessary to operate at the theater level and one level below with mission-type orders or requests, what are the preconditions that must exist in order to make such a partially decentralized command system work?” To answer this question, the study examines theoretical perspectives on command and control,including those of Napoléon, the Germans, the Israelis, and former fighter pilot John R. Boyd. Following this theoretical survey, the study analyzes two historical case studies that exhibited both the use and non use of mission-type orders and requests in order to draw conclusions regarding the necessary preconditions in the categories of leadership, organization, communications technology, and procedure. These studies are Gen George C. Kenney’s air campaign in the Southwest Pacific during World War II and Operation Desert Storm.
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