Forum: Air Force Life

Will there ever be another <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mitchell" target="_blank">Billy Mitchell</a>? We need one now more than ever. I mean not just for the USAF, all the branches.

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Great thinkers come and go, and I'm sure there are a few warriors in the Pentagon doing what they can. People like Boyd, Mitchell, and the like come around only every few decades, real rare.

Sorry guys, I'm still in ROTC, but I should be a 2LT in a few years and maybe then I can get some pull till I get higher.

Laughing

LMAO, j/k j/k

But seriously, if theres one thing id like to see its some revolutionary geniuses out there to help us out a bit.

-Aaron

I say "No", because "back in the day" of Billy Mitchell, Ernst Udet, and many other luminaries - these guys were the "few" who really put some thought into the application of airpower.

Nowadays - we have thousands (tens of thousands?) of pilots flying, debriefing and applying "lessons learned". This guarantees that the progression of the the art of airpower continuously moves forward - as new aircraft are developed - their capabilities are explored to the fullest - and where deficiencies are observed - either mods / block updates are defined, and / or new aircraft developed (e.g F-22, B-2 bomber).

The brightest engineering minds are working at Boeing, Lockheed, and other airframers across the globe.

There will always be some sharp guys (e.g. that Kelly guy from the Skunk Works?) - but I predict you won't have "mavericks, bucking the establishment" singlehandedly "revolutionizing" air warfare.

Comments?

Rocky

What I mean, is somebody going to sacrifice their career to get the message out to the public about what is happening to the Us military. Mitchell turned his court martial into a public forum

Probably not. The occasional "maverick" will fall on his sword over principle but it probably won't get much play unless that guy is a 3 or 4 star and goes public on a poor news week.