Author Description

Major Thompson examines the question: How should the US military structure its forces to provide the National Command Authorities an on-call, sustainable, and responsive airpower force worldwide? He provides an in-depth background, discusses the problem and its importance, related problems, past attempts at solutions, and offers a framework to reorganize existing forces into a Quick Response Airpower Force (QRAF). Major Thompson gives recommendations for further study; but he contends that this QRAF concept involves a force structure that can help by replacing forward presence with a credible continental United States-based, quick response deterrent force, which can be tailored to the unpredictable challenges of the future.