Wild Blue Yonder

Feb. 22, 2024
USAF Role in the Electromagnetic Pulse Vulnerability of the United States Critical Infrastructure

The nuclear capabilities of Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs) are of substantial concern and are highlighted throughout the 2022 National Defense Strategy of the United States.[1] Along with these nuclear abilities comes the threat to the U.S. Homeland in
Jan. 25, 2024
Persistence in Airpower

While a great deal of focus has been placed on the kinetic and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), their ability to remain present in the battlespace is their most important attribute. As manned
Jan. 4, 2024
Winning in the Information Environment: Recent Successes in Combating Adversary Disinformation and Recommendations for the Future

Before invading Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian officials were planning a false-flag operation, which called for a staged video depicting the aftermath of a Ukrainian attack against Russian-backed separatists or Russia itself, with Russian-speaking actors posing as mourners and corpses. This
Dec. 28, 2023
Impeding Terrorism by Impeding Funding of Terrorism Through Fentanyl Sales on the Dark / Deep Web

As a USAF Cyber Officer, I acted as the J6 (Cyber/IT lead) for the Combined Joint Interagency Task Force, CJIATF-Nexus, deployed in Afghanistan during the 2012-2013 timeframe. In this role, I was supposed to ensure the combined unit had its systems and network requirements met, but instead, I was
Nov. 16, 2023
A Joint, All-Domain Airman

The Future Fight When then Chief of Staff of the Air Force General CQ Brown said, “we must be prepared to face future conflicts with our joint and combined partners,” he wasn’t making a bold proclamation, but rather stating a fact.[1] But what, then, was Gen Brown highlighting with his comment? The
Oct. 26, 2023
China’s Hidden Talent: The Thousand Talent Plan

At the age of 60, Dr. Charles M. Lieber was a world-renown chemist at Harvard University with an extensive resume from his groundbreaking work in nanoscience and nanotechnology, publication of over four hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals, lead inventor on 50 patents, and founder of two
Oct. 12, 2023
The Air Force's Dual Approach: Adopting and Integrating with Air Force Doctrine

Two personas who helped create the United States Air Force left an indelible mark on its culture with their drastically different approaches. While Brigadier General Billy Mitchell immortalized a brazen and maverick approach that involved breaking rules and challenging authority to advocate for
Sept. 28, 2023
The PRC and the Overseas Chinese

In March 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) announced that the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office was to be absorbed into the United Front Work Department. This reorganization brought international attention back to the concerted effort the People’s Republic of China was
Sept. 14, 2023
Growing the State Partnership Program in Africa: A Strategic Imperative for Sustained Engagement on the Continent

The 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) stresses that to achieve American interests and bounded success with African nations, “U.S.-Africa partnerships must adapt to reflect the important geopolitical role that African nations play globally.” Such 21st-century U.S.-Africa partnerships would
Aug. 25, 2023
AFSOC Pathfinding Needs a Doctrinal Foundation

AFSOC as a Technology PathfinderAir Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has stated that it intends to be a technology pathfinding element for the conventional Air Force. Like many Special Operations elements, it considers itself uniquely capable of providing value to its parent service by