Joint Air Command and Control Doctrine: A Help or Hindrance to the Joint Force Commander

To complete a comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of Joint Air Command and Control Doctrine would require an in depth analysis of which there is neither time nor space with this work to cover. However, by narrowing the focus of this paper to one overarching topic and its subsequent branches a thoughtful consideration of the larger Doctrinal issues can be initiated. As such, this paper focuses on Joint Air Command and Control (C2) Doctrine and how it applies to the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) concept and the subsequent branches of Air Tasking Order (ATO) generation/utilization and Service idiosyncrasies in dealing with the JFACC concept. As an analysis of three recent United States military operations will show (Desert Storm, Allied Force, Operation Enduring Freedom), current Joint Force Air C2 Doctrine is a hindrance to the Joint Force Commander when employing joint air forces within the existing Joint Air Command and Control Doctrine architecture.