Volume 32 Issue 1, Spring 2018

Col Shane P. Hamilton, USAF / Lt Col Michael P. Kreuzer, USAF, PhD
 
“Big data” is the subject of much discussion in the media and throughout the government today. Its fiercest advocates see endless possibilities for harnessing the power of big data analytics to solve challenges from international security to advertising, while critics see a lot of hype. But what is big data, and why is it so vital to the future of the intelligence community? 

COL David Pendall, USA                            

This article argues that today’s Intelligence technologies, processes, and structures may soon be, or are now, inadequate for the future. The advances in commercially generated and acquired data simultaneous with computer science advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing will disrupt the entire intelligence community and their operating paradigms in significant ways.

Lt Col Nicholas Conklin, USAF
 
Air mobility liaison officers (AMLO) provide a valuable service to the mobility enterprise as embedded liaisons to Army and Marine units. This article examines the perceptions and realities of AMLO career advancement, and seeks to answer two research questions: (1) Is there a perception in the Mobility Air Forces (MAF) that an AMLO assignment will negatively affect an officer’s promotion opportunity?, and (2) Does having an AMLO assignment in one’s record affect promotion opportunity?

Lt Col Daniel L. Magruder Jr., USAF, PhD
 
This article argues that the Air Force does not sufficiently develop field grade officers (FGO) for joint leadership roles. “Developing Field Grade Officers for Joint Leadership” focuses on the requirements of joint leadership and how to develop FGOs to that end. Crucially, the Air Force’s culture works at cross-purposes to build joint, strategic-thinking leaders. 

Maj Jason M. Newcomer, DBA, USAF / Lt Col Daniel A. Connelly, PhD, USAF, Retired
 
In 2016, Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) Gen David Goldfein identified “revitalizing the squadron” as his number one priority during his four-year tenure. According to the CSAF, squadrons are the foundational organization in the service. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to query recently graduated squadron commanders to understand what conditions or activities impact squadron effectiveness. 

Maj Bryan A. Card, USAFR
 
There is a burgeoning unmanned aircraft revolution in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration no longer requires a licensed pilot to operate unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes, and this has substantially lowered the barriers to operating unmanned aircraft in the United States. Furthermore, as companies compete to offer more capable, user-friendly, and cost-efficient unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), these UAS will become more accessible and attractive to all consumers—including, terrorists, unfortunately. 

Maj William Giannetti, USAFR
 
The Air Force’s myriad sensors are inundating Airmen with data from every intelligence discipline. It will take activity-based intelligence (ABI) to harness the power that comes from so much information. ABI can help USAF intelligence analysts stem the tide of information by aggregating data from multiple traditional and nontraditional intelligence disciplines.

Lt Col Christopher R. Cassem, USAF

This article explores why the US Air Force has struggled with maintaining its innovative legacy in the recent past and how it might develop a new strategy aimed at reclaiming that legacy. It focuses on the human element of innovation and suggests that innovation is a people problem rather than a technology issue. 

Capt Keith B. Nordquist, USAF
 
Simply being stronger or faster is no longer enough when operations hinge on cyber capabilities, and this dependence exposes vulnerabilities. Since the end of the Cold War, the DOD has proven its strategic advantage across the spectrum of conflict in quantity, quality, and readiness.