A Blind Eye: The Consideration for Terrain and Environment in Air Force Doctrine

Broadly defined, doctrine is a body of principles taught or advocated that represents an official statement of policy. Specifically, the subject of doctrine describes accepted beliefs for the proper employment of military force. US Air Force doctrine has developed over the last three-quarters of a century as a result of existing military thought, the impact of technology, and experience. Doctrine is not a static code, but constantly evolving process whereby air strategists reexamine these factors in consideration of national goals and restraints. The Air Force must compromise between finite resources (personnel, equipment and funding), and the requirements to maintain a flexible and formidable national defense. The political limitations on the form, function and control of military forces combine with military objectives to form a statement of current missions, and recommended guidelines for producing the most effective and prepared aerospace forces. Furthermore the most important aspect of these tenets is the guidance they provide for proper employment of military forces. This essay will explore the guidance that doctrine has provided towards the relationship between terrain and geography, and the effect it has on the employment of air power.