Behind the Light Switch: Toward a Theory of Air Mobility

Behind the Light Switch Toward a Theory of Air Mobility Derek M. Salmi, Colonel, USAF Air University Press Academic Services Maxwell AFB, AL 36112–6010 Air University Press Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Director Names: Salmi, Derek M., 1975- author. | Air University Maj Richard Harrison (U.S.). Press, issuing body. Managing Editor Title: Behind the light switch : toward a theory of air Dr. Christopher Rein mobility / by Derek M. Salmi, Colonel, USAF Other titles: Toward a theory of air mobility Design and Production Managing Editor Description: Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama : Air Luetwinder T. Eaves University Press, [2019] | Includes bibliographical refer- Project Editor ences. | Summary: “Author Derek Salmi provides a com- Donna Budjenska prehensive theory of air mobility, examining its five key factors of freedom of movement, command and control, Editorial Assistant Tammi Dacus integrated logistics, technology, and training, then illus- trating these factors’ criticality to mission success through Cover Art, Book Design, and Illustrations case studies. This guidebook serves as a one-stop shop for Daniel Armstrong military practitioners and civilian policy makers to use in Composition and Prepress Production framing current possibilities while spurring imagination Nedra Looney for the future.”— Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2019034502 (print) | LCCN 2019034503 (ebook) | ISBN 9781585662982 (paperback) | ISBN 9781585662982 (adobe pdf) Subjects: LCSH: Airmobile operations (Military science) —History. | United States. Army—Aviation—History. | Airlift, Military—United States. | United States. Air Force —Operational readiness. Classification: LCC UG633 .B397 2019 (print) | LCC UG633 (ebook) | DDC 356/.1664—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019034502 Air University Press LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/ 600 Chennault Circle, Building 1405 Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6010 2019034503 https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/AUPress/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AirUnivPress Published by Air University Press in August 2020 and Twitter: https://twitter.com/aupress Disclaimer Air University Press The views expressed in this book are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US government or the Department of Defense. In accordance with Air Force Instruction 51-303, this book is not copyrighted but is the property of the United States government. This book and other Air University Press publications are available electronically at the AU Press website: https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/AUPress. Contents Illustrations v About the Author vii Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii 1 A Theory of Air Mobility 1 2 Stalingrad 27 3 Burma 45 4 Berlin Airlift 63 5 Dien Bien Phu 81 6 Young Tigers 109 7 Operation Nickel Grass 125 8 Haiti 141 9 ISIS 157 10 Conclusion 175 Abbreviations 181 Bibliography 185 Index 199 Illustrations 1.1. Air Mobility Utility Model 4 1.2. Air Mobility Utility Model, with five air mobility factors noted 6 1.3. Five Factors Interaction Model 21 2.1. The Air Mobility Utility Model: Battle of Stalingrad 41 3.1. The Air Mobility Utility Model: Burma campaign of 1942–45 58 3.2. The Air Mobility Utility Model: Burma, with areas of poor command- and- control practices highlighted 59 4.1. The Air Mobility Utility Model: Berlin airlift and the key role of command and control 77 5.1. Air Mobility Utility Model: Dien Bien Phu, Phase One 95 5.2. Air Mobility Utility Model: Dien Bien Phu, Phase Two with the key factor of loss of freedom of movement 96 6.1. The Air Mobility Utility Model: Young Tigers in Southeast Asia 121 7.1. The Air Mobility Utility Model: Operation Nickel Grass 138 8.1. The Air Mobility Utility Model: Haiti, showing strong command and control and integrated logistics 153 9.1. Air Mobility Utility Model: Operation Inherent Resolve tankers 172 10.1. Model of air mobility utility with five air mobility principles noted 175 10.2. Five factors interaction model 177 Photo gallery follows page 98 v About the Author Col Derek Salmi was commissioned through the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1998 with a degree in political science and a minor in military doctrine, operations, and strategy. He later earned a master’s degree in organizational management from The George Washington University in 2005 as well as a master of philoso- phy in military strategy from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in 2011. Colonel Salmi is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the KC-135 Stratotanker and C-5 Galaxy aircraft. His staff tours include chief of strategy and plans at the 609th Air and Space Operations Center, US Air Forces Central, and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Air Staff at the Pentagon as an Air Force Intern. Prior to his current assignment as commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Washington, Colonel Salmi commanded the 100th Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, and was a National Defense Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. vii Preface This study offers a theory of air mobility intended to assist practitioners and policy makers in analyzing the efficacy of air mobility operations. It begins by presenting a model of air mobility utility that incorporates the key airpower and logistical principles of velocity, ca- pacity, attainability, and sustainability to graphically illustrate air mobility’s effects within a campaign. Additionally, the five critical factors of freedom of movement, command and control, integrated logistics, technology, and training emerge as essential elements that must be addressed to determine air mobility success. Next the study applies the theory’s model and factors to eight historical case studies, ranging from combat operations of the Second World War to recent humani- tarian disaster relief efforts, which typify the broad air mobility mission set. To garner the greatest analytical insights, each case study examines the air mobility operation within the context of the larger military campaign it served as well as through the lens of the five critical mobility factors. The final chapter offers a summation of the theory’s key points as well as future applications within the air mobility discipline. ix Acknowledgments I am very appreciative of the many people who gave so generously of their time and talents to help strengthen and improve this book. Specifically, I wish to thank Mr. Rudy Becker of the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center for his tremendous support throughout the entire project. He was always quick to provide valuable feedback, coordinate helpful materials, and facilitate contact with experts in the field, all of which greatly enhanced the research process. I am also indebted to Dr. Robert Owen of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Dr. Richard Muller of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, both of whom shared their vast expertise in history and airpower theory while reviewing the model development and select case studies. Their invaluable edits came in addition to otherwise demanding schedules, a fact I greatly appreciate. Additionally, I owe a great deal to the outstanding, pro- fessional team at Air University Press, in particular Dr. Ernest Rock- well, who helped shepherd this project in its early publishing stages, as well as Mrs. Donna Budjenska, whose talents and efforts helped to see it through to its completion. For this entire team I remain very thankful. Furthermore, I also wish to thank the scholars of the International Security Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Their perceptive questions and insightful comments sharpened my argumentation and, along with their helpful encouragement, resulted in a much better product than when I began. I also want to acknowledge the impact of Adm William McRaven’s book Spec Ops: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare: Theory and Practice as the genesis for my work. This book is an attempt to apply Admiral McRaven’s theory structure to the discipline of air mobility, and—although a poor comparison to his groundbreaking work—I hope it serves as a useful contribution to the growing body of literature cataloging air mobility’s vital contributions to the art of war. Most importantly, I wish to recognize and say “thank you” for the tremendous support of my family, both immediate and extended, and especially my wife, who is a constant source of love and encouragement. I have been incredibly blessed with a family who provides xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS unconditional support and understanding throughout the demands of both an Air Force career and during projects such as this one—for that I am incredibly grateful. To my wife and children, I dedicate this book. DEREK SALMI Colonel, US Air Force xii Introduction In April 2014, US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Mark A. Welsh addressed the crowd of journalists and policy pundits assembled at the prestigious National Press Club in Washington, DC. His goal, as with many of the hundreds of speeches he had previously delivered as the Air Force’s chief ambassador, was to further educate the audience on the contributions of the nation’s Air Force to its national security. To best accomplish this, Welsh began by relating the “light switch analogy” credited to then–Lt Gen David Goldfein, another key airpower advocate and future Air Force chief of staff. “When you walk into a room and look at a light switch on the wall,” Welsh noted, “unless you are an electrician, you really don’t have any idea what’s behind the wall. But every time you flip the switch the light comes on.Every single time. That’s the way our Air Force is.”1 Welsh continued by directly linking this analogy to the air mobility enterprise, where its 130,000 members work to execute more than 600 strategic airlift missions a day, a rate equaling a takeoff or landing every two-and-a-half minutes.

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