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Pages:
6 pages/≈1650 words
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6 Sources
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Other
Subject:
Social Sciences
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
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Topic:

Airpower Developments Following the Theories of Mitchell and His Peers

Essay Instructions:

The Intent here is to support your planning efforts over the next couple of weeks.  Thus, sharing guidance and points to consider to augment your "problem framing" for the mid-term essay.  Obviously, our discussion questions/engagement and the course readings are intended to prep and inform your analysis for this effort.   Here is the query:  

QUESTION: The theory and application of airpower has evolved significantly since Mitchell and his peers wrote nearly a century ago. Based on your readings, what developments most closely follow the theories of Mitchell and his peers, and which developments have deviated the furthest from their thinking?   Support and defend your answer using specific examples from the course materials. 

This essay is 25% of your final grade.  You will see the format and submission requirements specified via the Assignments tab/Lesson 4 Midterm Essay, and I have shared the sample essay format as an attachment.  You need to read it because it DOES contain some expectations for the essay.  Below I am sharing some points to consider to frame the essay prompt...by no means should they replace the approach you choose based on your informed perspective/analysis.  I encourage you to be bold and apply critical thinking in your approach to the essay prompt.    

  • Consider the maturation of theory/strategy/capabilities that changed the projection of airpower.  Do airmen tend to lean too much on technology as part of their “learning curve?”    
  • Do airmen hone in tactical lessons over strategic lessons?
  • Are air strategists/planners guilty of assuming that what worked in the past is applicable to the next fight?
  • Can airpower truly deliver strategic results?  Does it always have to?

Now some admin points to consider:

  • Review the eSchool Essay rubric, found by the Assignments tab/Lesson 4 Midterm/Other Guidance.   I will apply this rubric and embedded comments within your submission to provide feedback.
  • As you frame your thoughts during Week 4, look over previous readings and discussion threads to support your outline.  That said, your analysis from these discussions should be a point of departure to address this question directly.
  • Use sources to strengthen and add credibility to support YOUR analysis/prescriptions for airpower.   Note my previous guidance on citations and format.  It is critical to apply a balance between your original analysis and outside sources.  Do NOT write your paper with a string of paraphrases/direct quotes one after the other.
  • Using the Assignment tabs to the left, the essay template is provided in the "Sample Response" link and is attached below.  NOTE -- for an essay of this length, an abstract is not required, and there is no need to title the "Introduction" and "Conclusion."  Ensure you submit as Word.doc versus a .pdf so I can apply track change comments.
  • Word counts matter!  Let me be absolutely clear on what is countable so there is no disagreement later on  the Title page; headers/footers, inline citations or other author attribution material, section titles, and bibliography/footnotes all do not count toward minimum or maximum word counts.  I copy/paste your paper into my own Word document and delete all of the aforementioned material.  I am trying to be absolutely transparent on this topic right up front.  
Essay Sample Content Preview:


Airpower Evolution
Student’s Name
Course Name
Date
University
Airpower Evolution
In warfare, the military, more often than not, is constrained to employ diverse doctrines and theories to outmaneuver its adversaries. In the air force, doctrine refers to the activities and operations that provide military forces with an edge over their rivals (Air Force Doctrine Publication 1 (AFDP) 2021, 2). To be precise, doctrines consist of fundamental principles that offer guidance to military forces in the pursuit of national objectives. As Curtis E. Lemay Center (2020) contends, a properly applied doctrine provides over 80 percent of the solutions that leaders seek, allowing them to have a departure point and flexibility. One such doctrine that continues to play a prominent role in warfare is airpower theory, which has been instrumental in informing warfare, although it has evolved over the years. The theory, devised in 1917, is the brainchild of Colonel William Mitchell who had gone to Europe as a military observer with special orders to investigate French aeronautics. That particular mandate prompted him to improvise a strategy that would assure the success of the United States’ military participation in France. As Mitchell (2006, 4) intimates, airpower refers to the capability of executing a mandate through the air. When he developed the airpower theory, he posited that it would greatly impact warfare through decisive attacks on adversaries. A decisive attack would lead to reduced loss of life (Mitchell 2006, 16). Many in the military found this idea of reduced loss of life and decisive attack appealing. However, as the airpower theory evolved, some of its elements deviated from the original thinking of Mitchell and his peers, while some elements still closely followed Mitchell's thinking. These deviations and conformity are discussed.
The development of limited wars has deviated further from Mitchell’s thinking. Mitchell (1917, 108) believed that airpower holds a decisive value that would have a much more significant impact on the outcome of wars than any other military arms. Mitchell theorized that using airpower to attack an enemy's commercial centers would incapacitate the enemy. When he was advancing this theory, airpower had the capacity to

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