Squadron Officer School - Cogito Yearbook (Montgomery, AL)

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You look closely at your T2-man battle staff. Your team. What do you know of them? Which are strong-weak? Which are quick-slow? Which are conventional-radical? Which arecourageous-hesitant? You know. You know, and even more important-they know. They know about each other, and they know about you. Each of you has paraded his personal strengths and weaknesses before all the others daily in field activities, in study seminars, and social get-togethers. Now you know that the fish bowl atmosphere that rankled you so much wasn't an accident. It was for you - for your men. You have an instant to reflect briefly upon the inter- national situation that faces you. Do you represent a nation strong in materials, men, funds, and that unmeasur- able quality called grit or backbone or guts ? Can the United States defeat aggression? Aggression from whom? Will this country pay the price, bear the scars? Is there an enemy, an ideological aggressor, a faction in this world that confuses peace and happiness with weakness and cowardice? What causes such unbelievable situations? Then in a flash, almost automatically, you grasp the whole thing. Accumulated lectures, readings, and discussions on national power and international relations have familia- rized you with your country's position in world affairs. The positions of other nations, with you or against you, Q- ' 'Ive also become clear. You wonder how people could have asked during the Korean conflict, Why are we fighting? You resolve that this question will never bother you. No, nor your men. You not only know why you are fighting, but how to fight. Now you see clearly why this last phase of instruction covering the employment of aerospace forces is given to all students, combat crew members as well as WAF offi- cers. Here they are, each with a different background, each with a different specialty, yet they all fill a needed function on your defense battle staff. Thank goodness, you think, that the instructions in force employment covered the enemy land, sea, and air capability as well as the capability of all the Allied nations. You are especially grateful this morning for the data you had on the Royal Canadian Air Force. You also realize that no maior conflict of this nation will be fought by one service alone. You are comforted to remember that the Army and Navy have a slice of this action too. Comforted because their capability has been explained in such frank and useful fashion. No guesswork needed on this score. This is something you know very well - this is unified action. WEEULATC J --s' .AW +5 We s -. 1

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Facing you is an enemy trying to use surprise, mass, maneuverability, and all the other principles for employing aerospace power that you have been taught. These old, tried and true principles are, however, guiding war-making implements of the atomic age. Will the principles be ef- fective in the iet and missile age? What an interesting opportunity to put into practice and test what you have learned of the impact of technology on modern warfare. As the panorama of the Squadron Officer School curri- culum streaks by your mental eye, you suddenly recall how you came to be in such a delicate and vital position. lt all began about two weeks ago, iust ten short weeks after your arrival at Squadron Officer School. The previous tenlweeks were a constant flow of information from the faculty to you. Lately you realized that the flow had dwindled to a trickle and so subtly that you couldn't tell exactly when the steady stream began to diminish. You slowly began to realize that the school intelligence brief- ings were following a pattern. The enemy was acting more brashly. Finally his moves became so bold you realized it was time for counteraction. His constant nibbling away at weak, neutral and undecided countries had to be stopped. X l .. 'l - fa ' TTR -A vi , ., ,,-V . :Q .. ' 31-1 .. ..-o- ,, 1 1 ,I V - ,, N ' 'uc on ik. -4 5 hr f : Pu' ull ly: 153 - A , ,A .X eq hp B ffl ',i'i'ii 4? 'T 'k.1 ' ilk? 549 W nun- inns MM Q tl , S ,Nat . V 55131 'f5'fu.,:fss?u my f f zest: ,ee X. A-W 4, ,maori ...www A T. gi if .v :fam E ..-W 4 f m., in ,- I ,J . fe- in ,f E ,T H 1 qs: +r:..,: . , Jhtzff ,. ,L .ii xa Wwe. fi X :Ii ivigisifir 1 h ,wi rv ' 1 9 iam? an a iswrss if , Us 'ill 1 .avi y ,. tex I '57 if F, l ,z f U 24 Y 4 if 'x-1 ,9- nu uv u -et A5-r 4. ,.,,,g