Air Force Doctrine Podcast Air University Public Affairs

Welcome to the Air Force Doctrine podcast. On this episode we sit down with General Anthony J Cotton, Commander US Strategic Command. Our conversation explores the challenges of peer competition, integrated deterrence, the mission of USSTRATCOM, and the importance of relationships.

In his role as the USSTRACOM commander, General Cotton is responsible for one of 11 Unified Commands under the Department of Defense. USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, global strike, missile defense, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, analysis and targeting, and missile threat assessment. USSTRATCOM is comprised of 41,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and civilians who operate globally performing the command’s missions. The command also provides the Secretary of Defense and President a range of options to deter adversaries and assure allies.

As a reminder to all listeners, all topics discussed are UNCLASSIFIED, and the views expressed by guests or hosts are not necessarily the position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any government agency.

This episode features the top 3 finalists in the LeMay Center’s Fall ’23 Inspiring Doctrinal Innovation Essay Contest, which asked Airmen to consider the prompt: “Discuss how the new Air Force Doctrine Publication 1-1 (AFDP 1-1) Mission Command can best be implemented operationally, practically, or organizationally.” Three talented officers talk about how Mission Command may change the way the Air Force organizes, plans, and executes during war. Join us!

As a reminder to all listeners, all topics discussed are UNCLASSIFIED, and the views expressed by guests or hosts are not necessarily the position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any government agency.

This special episode features former Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Dave Goldfein. We discuss how his daring rescue after being shot down over enemy territory forged his views on everything from leadership (“Am I worthy?”) to the future of CSAR (spoiler: the “Uber” model). We also dive into culture vs. technology, partnering with Silicon Valley, and how the United States’ CSAR capability serves as a strategic coalition asset. Join us in this wide-ranging conversation.

As a reminder to all listeners, all topics discussed are UNCLASSIFIED, and the views expressed by guests or hosts are not necessarily the position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any government agency.

In this episode, our conversation with Col Warden centers around the strategies of the United States and China, and how we should paradigmatically change the way we think about the U.S. homeland as a sanctuary, what it means to be a “peer competitor,” the concept of “time” during a conflict and decisive geography.

Col (retired) John A. Warden III is a combat pilot with a distinguished military career. He wrote the definitive book on air strategy, The Air Campaign: Planning For Combat, which is still in use worldwide and has been translated into seven languages. He is credited as the architect of the Desert Storm Air Campaign, based on his revolutionary concept of “the enemy as a system” in which military forces are considered parts of a much larger whole, represented by “Warden’s five rings.”

As a reminder to all listeners, all topics discussed are UNCLASSIFIED, and the views expressed by guests or hosts are not necessarily the position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any government agency.

Described as a disruptive strategist, Lt Gen Clint Hinote’s ability to challenge underlying premises in the employment of Airpower is key to ensuring our doctrine is never taken as dogma and Airmen stand ready to defend or change the premises on which their service is built.

As a reminder to all listeners, all topics discussed are UNCLASSIFIED, and the views expressed by guests or hosts are not necessarily the position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any government agency.

This special episode features General Mike Minihan, the Commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC*). With what some see as his provocative “Mobility Manifesto,” General Minihan challenged his Airmen to “explode in theater, sense and seize opportunities, and focus on lethality.” In our conversation, we discuss “Beyond the Manifesto” and focus on joint force maneuver and the assertion that “mobility is the most relied-upon force in the history of warfare.” We explore lessons learned from Operation Allies Refuge (U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan), the recent Pacific Mobility Guardian Exercise, and his approach to risk as an art, and why leadership matters.

*AMC serves as U.S. Transportation Command’s air component, executing the air mobility mission in support of the joint force, allies, and partners with a fleet of nearly 1,100 aircraft and approximately 107,000 active-duty, guard, and reserve Airmen and civilians.

As a reminder to all listeners, all topics discussed are UNCLASSIFIED, and the views expressed by guests or hosts are not necessarily the position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any government agency.