Foundation Forum
DOYLE E. LARSON
President, Air Force Association
Orlando AFA Air Warfare Symposium
February 26, 1998
Global Engagement: Making the Vision
Operational
Thank you very much John [Shaud, AFA Executive Director]. I would
first like to ask for a moment of silence in honor of those who suffered
from the destructive tornados around Orlando this past week.
I would like to extend a welcome to you at this, our 14th
annual Air Warfare Symposium. On behalf of the Air Force Association and
our affiliate the Aerospace Education Foundation, I want to thank you
for joining us for this important dialog about"Global Engagement:
Making the Vision Operational."
Before we begin, it is a pleasure to introduce a number of very
distinguished guests. First, we have former Air Force Chiefs of Staff,
Ron Fogleman, and Charlie Gabriel. We also have the founder of this
symposium, Bruce K. Holloway. I would also like to acknowledge the
attendance of our national AFA and AEF officers and representing them is
our AFA chairman of the Board, R.E. "Gene" Smith.
Well, we have had an exciting week or two with the scoundrel in Iraq.
As my fellow classmate at MacAllister College, UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan said, it sure was helpful to have the force behind the
negotiations. It is like having Gunsmoke's Matt Dillion standing behind
you when you are trying to get the rowdy cowboy off the street.
We are right in saying that our air and space forces have been a
unique source of national strength enabling us to project power and
influence around the world, and to do it quickly -- not in ten days or
so.
With the Iraq caldron bubbling and boiling again, there have been a
great many public debates about the merits and usefulness of airpower.
It is a shame that much of this debate is clouded by misinformation
about the Air Force and the capabilities of airpower. Some people are
simply stuck in a time warp and view current capabilities through the
prism of the Gulf War. They don't seem to understand that much has
changed since 1991. We have a greatly increased conventional capability.
Recently, in response to an attack on airpower, AFA sent a letter to
the Washington Post. We thought it was important that we
standup and set the record straight -- to say that aerospace power gives
our national leaders a tremendous capability during an international
crisis. Airpower may not neatly solve all the problems, but often, it
can, however, play a decisive role in our broad political-military
strategy.
For too long, many of our friends have been silent in discussing the
merits of Air Force capabilities. I would like to plead with you to
speak up on Air Force capabilities. It is time to speak up and speak
out. Our Air Force Magazine editor, John Correll, has stated the Air
Force choir is missing in action and airpower speakers have not been
visible. This symposium is designed to speak up and extol the virtues
and values of aerospace power.
Our theme -- Making the Vision Operational -- is meant to accent
those day-to-day actions all over the Air Force which continually refine
and enhance an already formidable force. Almost two years ago, senior
Air Force leaders announced the new "Global Engagement: A Vision
for the 21st Century Air Force" to chart a path into the next
century for the Air Force. Despite being underfunded and overly stressed
in a few weapons systems, Air Force people are turning this Vision into
a working reality.
A lot of us have talked about the vision, but few of us have kept up
with the progress behind the scenes. The theme for this year's air
warfare symposium seemed like a good way to catch up. I'm looking
forward to hearing first hand reports from our senior Air Force leaders
about today's aerospace forces.
Now, I would like to turn the lectern back to our moderator for these
sessions, the executive director of the Air Force Association and
Aerospace Education Foundation, John Shaud.
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