"It takes much longer to train upper officers in an air force than it does in a ground army or navy." Such were the sober words of Maj. Gen. William Mitchell, the famous airman, in his seminal 1925 book, Winged Defense. Were he alive today, Mitchell would see that the job has, if anything, only gotten harder. Today's "upper officers" are now required to learn foreign languages, cultures, joint warfighting, strategy, leadership—and squeeze in the art of airpower, too. Indeed, senior USAF leaders are formulating major changes to the curriculum and expanding the resources for education at all levels. The effort ranges from Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs in high schools to doctoral work at the Air Force Institute of Technology.
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