It can be argued that General Henry “Hap” Arnold is the father of the United States Air Force. His experiences, wisdom, and foresight are what made him, in every way, a visionary leader. Due to his efforts developing air mindedness during the first part of the 20th century, he shaped what is today the greatest Air Force on the planet. I will begin by explaining his effective use of transformational leadership and the impact it has on the development of airpower. Then I will explain how his acceptance of diversity impacted the war effort during WWII and the future of the United States Air Force. First, we must know what shaped him into the leader he eventually became.
Hap Arnold started out his military career somewhat average. He attended the United States Military Academy graduating in 1907. While at the academy he was not a stand out student. Hap was so average he received an assignment to the infantry, instead of the cavalry, which was highly coveted at that time, similarly to getting accepted to pilot training out of the U.S. Air Force Academy today. In 1911 he became one of the first Army aviators and even won the Mackay trophy for taking a biplane to an altitude of 6,540 feet, a record at the time (Glines, 2006). The early days of military aviation was not without danger. Hap almost died when his plane when into an uncontrolled spin. After that experience he gave up flying, stating, “I cannot even look at a machine in the air without feeling that some accident is going to happen to it (Glines, 2006).” Billy Mitchell brought him back to the flying world in 1916. While stationed in San Diego he was able to get over his fears and return to flying. He filled several positions during his career; supply officer, Sq...
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...emier airpower in the world shows this. He moved the Air Corps from a small fighting force to, at the time of his retirement, the cusp of its own service. His actions were truly transformational. He also embraced diversity. By championing women pilots he showed the aspects of an inclusive environment. If it wasn’t for this average cadet we would not be discussing to aspects of what makes a visionary today.
Bibliography
Daso, M. D. (1994, January 25). DTIC. Retrieved from DTIC: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a282164.pdf
Glines, C. (2006, June 12). General Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold: Architect of America's Air Force. Retrieved from Historynet.com: http://www.historynet.com/general-henry-h-hap-arnold-architect-of-americas-air-force.htm
Parrish, D. B. (2008). Hap Arnold Biography. Retrieved from National WASP Museum: http://waspmuseum.org/hap-arnold-biography/
General Douglas Macarthur was one of the most well known military figures in the history of the United States. He gave his farewell speech to congress on 19th April 1951 and went into retirement after 52 years of service in the United States army. He was given the chance to address his final message to the US government. This analysis carefully examines his ethics, goals, strategies, strengths and weaknesses. The speech is very famous and highly popular among the American audience. Therefore, we will take into account all factors to critically evaluate the speech and find out what makes it important.
Billy Bishop’s path to greatness was not an easy one. He encountered many challenges throughout his young life that recognized him as a fiercer fighter pilot and a true hero. Billy Bishop faced an incredibly tough task to achieving his dream of becoming Canada’s greatest ace. Bishop had a tough life at Owen Sound Collegiate. He would be the subject to many jokes and preferred the company of girls. However his anger and fists won him acceptance on the school ground. He was a good natured boy born on February 8th, 1984. In 1911, at the age of 17, his parents sent him Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario due to his mediocre marks in school which his father knew would not allow him to get accepted to the University of Toronto. He was not an academic student and in his third year of high school was found cheating on a class exam which would later be the subject to many controversie...
The United States Army has been through many changes since its start in 1775, yet it remains the greatest, most disciplined all volunteer fighting force in the world. Like the service members of the past and present, many Army units have contributed to the success of our military, and like those service members many have been lost. Even though these units are not as well known as the divisions they have belonged to, they have enriched the history of our Army just the same. The achievements of the 123rd Aviation Battalion have contributed to the history and success of our nations battles.
Tom Wolfe writes in the book “The Right Stuff” about early jet pilots that demonstrated extreme bravery, and behaviorisms that enabled them to be part of a furtive group of individuals. It has been said that these men usually assemble in groups among themselves in a way that solicited the men to be a part of a privileged membership. It is these pilots with proven courage, and abilities that will go forward testing the next barrier; space.
Many people have been born that have struck a chord with the world. Some people have become legends, patriots and even heroes. Though one person stood out among the rest, this one was not made a hero, but was born to be one. He was a hero at what he strived to be in life and he has captured the attention of the public like no other solider has done before or since. This great Canadian Air Force Ace became one of the legendary figures in 20th century air warfare. With his daring and dramatic dogfights in France, he achieved a record of 72 kills in his many encounters. His role on the ground during the Second World War training pilots changed and inspired a whole new generation of fighter pilots. This man is known as Billy Bishop, the legendary and great Canadian hero who captured and won the respect of his enemies, comrades and the world.
It is no accident that General Spaatz is a proponent of a separate Air Force. Spaatz’s perseverance, leadership attributes and military knowledge would lead him to be a proponent of a separate Air Force were all being shaped, tweaked and instilled upon him during his early plebe years at the United States Military Academy (USMA) beginning in 1900. Looking back on Spaatz’s career at the USMA, one would not predict Spaatz to become the first Chief of Staff of the newly independent United States Air Force. However, these four years spent at the USMA were very influential, particularly in Spaatz’s development as a leader and his ability to persevere. While at the USMA Spaatz was very much a rebel and was constantly breaking the rules. Nevertheless, Spaatz knew he was smart, he demonstrated this by being ranked in the top half of his class. Although, as Spaatz entered his senior year, he felt he had nothing else to prove and began to slack off. Eventually Spaatz ended up being ranked near the bottom of his class. He went from the rank of 39th to 98th of 107 within a year. With the possibility of getting kicked-out Spaatz used his perseve...
On a warm San Diego night in May of 1988, not smart enough to know whether I should be scared or excited, I embarked on my military career standing atop yellow footprints neatly painted on the asphalt. As an eighteen year-old kid entering recruit training, the finer points of leadership, at any level, had not yet piqued my curiosity. The drill instructors who supervised my training placed far different leadership expectations on me than what I will face as a colonel in the Air Force. Having learned a lot, good and bad, along the way, I realize that I must adapt to make good decisions and effectively lead at the senior level. Dr. Gene Kamena’s Right to Lead Assessment Model (RLAM) provides a handy, visual means to think about leadership, and assess how one can grow as a leader. Using the RLAM, I can concentrate xxxxxx My current leadership skills and abilities have enabled me to thrive at the tactical and operational level; however, in order to succeed
Armies and Navies have clashed since antiquity, but the airplane that enables aerial combat is barely a century old. Airplanes saw widespread combat in the First World War, and, despite the doubts and financial concerns of military leaders of the time, the brave men who fly them have gained their own dedicated military division, the United States Air Force. Billy Mitchell, through his charisma and an image that endeared him in American culture, was an instrumental figure in developing the modern Air Force.
There are many types of leaders not only in the military, but also in every civilian company around the world. We rarely see a leader who possesses both vision and an ethical style of leadership; however, CMSgt Paul W. Airey, the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, was this type of leader. Throughout this paper I will discuss his ability to be both a visionary and ethical leader, which resulted in CMSgt Airey being labeled a “legend” (LaGrone, 2009, p.2). He was described by the former Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz as an “Airman’s Airman and “one of the true pioneers of the service” (LaGrone, 2009, p.2). CMSgt Airey has left a legacy that will impact generations of Air Force Airmen based on his traits of vision and ethics.
The history of Lieutenant General Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller is not well known outside of the U.S. Marine Corps, but as the most decorated marine in history his legend will live on and continue to inspire the marines of tomorrow. The enlisted corps has idolized him, frequently encouraging one another to do that last push up when motivated by fellow marines saying “Do one for Chesty!” The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that Chesty, using current day leadership theories, was a visionary and ethical leader who exemplified the characteristics that our nation’s military needed during World War II and still needs today. I will explain how he embodied some principles of Full Range Leadership Development that are taught today. Then I will describe how he demonstrated his ethical leadership through combat actions when faced with general military ethics situations. Finally, I will examine how my own leadership abilities, though noncombat focused, compare to how Chesty led his marines. Let’s begin by exploring the visionary leadership that Lt Gen Puller exhibited.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” (BAM, 2010, p.20) These words were first written down over 2,400 years ago by a Chinese general named Sun Tzu in his famous military strategy treatise known today as The Art of War. These words, in fact the entire book, are just as valid today as they were during Sun Tzu’s lifetime. He was one of the first truly visionary and ethical military leaders in the world. Despite the fact that there is not much known about Sun Tzu today other than his writings, in this essay, I intend to extract his essence from his treatise to prove he was a visionary leader. I will then continue to prove he was also an ethical leader. Finally, I will finish by detailing how his seminal work has inspired me to self-reflect on how I can be a better visionary and ethical leader in the 21st Century Air Force. So, what exactly is a ‘visionary’ leader?
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, was close to not achieving commander status. If this had happened, a different person would have taken control over Operations Torch, Avalanche, and Overlord. Eisenhower, in fact, was the key component in the victory for the Allies. Had he not been assigned by George Marshall to a planning officer in Washington D.C., President Harry Truman might not have saw Eisenhower’s potential. Eisenhower’s past 30 years of military experience, his strong mental and social stature, and his ideas and tactics were all key factors for his triumphant victory in World War II.
... evident in the transformational style of Robin Olds, Curtis LeMay, and Billy Mitchell. These leaders had character flaws; however, it did not prevent them from being effective and transformational. The culture of the Air Force as a separate service is attributed to the pioneering spirit of Billy Mitchell. The culture of technology and strategic defense is a capstone for Curtis LeMay. The culture of the Air Force gaining and maintaining air superiority with Esprirt de Corp is the lasting tribute to Robin Olds.
The Vietnam War provided challenging and exciting times for United States (US) military aviation. Jets were still considered new technology at the beginning of the 1960’s and had not been tested thoroughly during the Korean War. As the situation in Vietnam started to escalate, US leadership recognized the importance of air superiority and the need to use and adapt newer technology. Air superiority can be achieved through multiple means, but none as romanticized and iconic as aerial combat. The general concept remains the same even to this day—defeat the other plane. However, the means to winning a dog fight had changed greatly due to the quick advancement in jet propulsion and guided weapon technology. This paper provides a summarization of the US efforts towards achieving air superiority through the means of aerial combat.
Alan Mulally’s development as a leader began at childhood and continued late into his career at Boeing. In an interview with scholars Prasada Kaipa and Mark Kriger (2010), Mr. Mulally attr...