CSAF reading list: Not just for generals

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joe McFadden
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  It's 2011, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force is assigning you homework... sort of.

While it's not for a grade, the reading list put forward by Gen. Norton Schwartz Jan. 21 is an important assignment. According to the Air Force website, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Professional Reading Program is designed to provide Airmen of all ranks a guide to further their education and expertise.

"Effectively operating within our increasingly dynamic, interconnected and complex world requires steadfast commitment to personal and professional growth," General Schwartz wrote in a Jan. 11 letter to Airmen. "Coupled with your daily professional endeavors, academic development sharpens our edge and bolsters our ability as an Air Force and Joint team. Therefore, professional reading will continue to be vital as we maintain our initiative today and prepare for the future."

The 2011 reading list is now available at the Hurlburt Field library, not just on bookshelves, but some in audio and downloadable formats too. The selections, divided into the three categories of leadership, strategic context and military heritage, may give Air Force leaders an insight into the current geo-political winds blowing half a world away.

But how does this translate for people like Airman Smith who work on aircraft engines? And, more importantly, with all the career development courses, computer-based training, professional development guides and other reading materials on their plates, what more could Airmen gain from reading these books in the first place?

Vicky Stever, library director, said the books can primarily give readers a broader perspective of how the work they do on the flightline, clinic or office fits into the "big picture" of how the Air Force operates.

"If I was an Airman when I was 20, I'd be coming from the Midwest where I was raised in a semi-rural environment and had no exposure to the way people think and act all over the world," Mrs. Stever said. "To then be in the Air Force and be expected to be able to perform, interact and even understand why we're doing the things we're doing can be a challenge. These books help to put things in context so Airmen can understand what they're doing, who they're interacting with and appreciate the contributions of those who went before them."

Mrs. Stever said reading the books may not only further appreciation of the Air Force and its history, but can become a tool for self-improvement and professional development. She said she especially makes a point of the library's potential career benefits while giving tours to incoming first-term Airmen at the Commando Pride Airman Center.

"When I show that section, I tell them if they want a career in the Air Force and want to be more than they are, this is the place to start," she said. "General Schwartz, who used to be the wing commander here, is now saying, 'If you want to get ahead, you ought to read and understand these issues.' That's when I always see a few faces that just click and see how those are the people that already know they want more out of their initial enlistment."

Sabrina Honda, the library's acquisition technician, said the challenge of being the first library to have the complete reading list is as exciting as seeing patrons checking out those books is rewarding.

"I'm always excited to see the books come in," Mrs. Honda said. "But I'm truly proud of our people. All education is not just in school. What you do on your own is as important as what you do in a classroom, and I think that says a lot about a person."

One of the most recent CPAC graduates is Airman 1st Class Dominique Marshall, 801st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron avionics apprentice. He said he now looked forward to reading about the Air Force's history, like the role of the Army Air Corps in World War II.

"I found that section to be the most influential," Airman Marshall said. "When you look at past wars and see how the weapons, uniforms and aircraft are a lot different than they are now, it's amazing to see how things have changed over such a short amount of time."

And so with each book he checks out and experience he learns from history, Airman Marshall said this year's reading list could only give fellow Air Commandos a deeper appreciation for what being an Airman is all about... even with no book report assigned.

"I would advise other Airmen to definitely check it out," Airman Marshall said. "At least try to find time to take a look, because it can only benefit you in some way, shape or form in your Air Force career."

The 2011 CSAF Reading List

Leadership
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time - by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Partners in Command: George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace - by Mark Perry
The Lost Peace: Leadership in a Time of Horror and Hope, 1945-1953 - by Robert Dallek
Secrets of Special Ops Leadership: Dare the Impossible; Achieve the Extraordinary - by William Allen Cohen

Strategic Context
Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power - by Robert Kaplan
Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It - by Richard Clarke and Robert Knake
The Return of History and the End of Dreams - by Robert Kagan
Technology Horizons: A Vision for the Air Force Science and Technology - by Dr. Werner Dahm
A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 - by Alistair Horne
Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia - by Ahmed Rashid

Military Heritage
The All Americans - by Lars Anderson
Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds - by Robin Olds, Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus
Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs - by Steve Davies
Cataclysm: General Hap Arnold and the Defeat of Japan - by Herman S. Wolk

More information on the 2011 reading list can be found at http://www.af.mil/information/csafreading/index.asp .