The very nature and instrument of war was forever transformed with man's first flight in 1903. Since that time early theorists like Mitchell and Douhet offered their approach to the employment of airpower. They focused on strategic bombing as a means for airpower to win wars independently of land or naval forces. World War II, Korea, and Vietnam showed that effective employment of airpower must go beyond strategic bombing developing the missions of superiority, interdiction, and …showed first 75 words of 3154 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3154 total…an acronym .It has been often said that the operational level of war is more like an "art" rather than a "science." Each potential conflict must be analyzed in depth to determine cause and affect relationships. Lessons of past wars and knowledge of today's capabilities should both go into the commanders thought process. This common sense approach will help air commanders in determining the most effective use of airpower at the operational level of war.