Commentaries

Dec. 8, 2023
Remembering retired Maj. Robert “Bob” Wyckoff: titan of missileer history and heritage

Commentary regarding the life and accomplishments of Mr. Robert "Bob" Wyckoff, missileer and poet, who died this month at the age of 83.
Dec. 1, 2022
Part 5 - A case study in modernization: War’s end – modernization objectives met

Twentieth Air Force was responsible for ending the war in the Pacific – both by preventing a ground-invasion of the Japanese mainland and by demonstrating airpower’s ability to end a conflict, the first in recorded military history.
Dec. 1, 2022
Part 4 - A case study in modernization: Challenge #3 operational effectiveness

Once Superfortresses began rolling off assembly lines at a rapid rate and arriving in Allied-controlled regions in the Pacific under the command of Twentieth Air Force units, Gen. Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold’s last major challenge was assigning leaders best-suited to lead the forces charged with operating
Dec. 1, 2022
Part 3 - A case study in modernization: Challenge #2 command structure

With mounting political pressure and a personal interest in seeing the project through completion, Gen. Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold would assume even greater oversight of the B-29 program once aircraft reliably rolled off the assembly lines. No unity of command, or anything remotely comparable to what Allied
Dec. 1, 2022
Part 2 - A case study in modernization: Challenge #1 production

Gen. Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold, dutifully following the White House’s request to accelerate production, placed an order for the B-29 before a prototype had been designed and tested, an unconventional and risky step, both then and now. There were constant program delays and even deaths.
Dec. 1, 2022
Part 1 - A case study in modernization: General Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold, the B-29 Superfortress, and visions of an independent Air Force

Not only does Gen. Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold’s modernization effort before and during World War II offer an opportunity to ponder resemblances for today’s and tomorrow’s Air Force; his experiences provide a chance to reflect on overcoming obstacles, both known and otherwise, and consider how much might be
Nov. 15, 2022
Realities and cost of missile field rollovers

Whether or not you’ve thought about it from this perspective, driving a vehicle from point A to point B is one of the most important things that a team member of the Twentieth Air Force does every day. We are trained very well to turn wrenches, pull alert, or recapture an LF from a hostile force,
Oct. 28, 2022
From Trinity to the Triad: the heritage of nuclear deterrence

A piece that ties the current nuclear deterrence mission back to the early days of the Manhattan Project and the importance of the Trinity Site.
March 16, 2022
Sentinel Dragon 22-1: Defending the homeland, assuring allies, and accelerating integration

Maj. Gen. Michael Lutton, 20th Air Force commander, gives his description of a new 20th Air Force exercise: Sentinel Dragon.
Jan. 10, 2022
ICBM Operations : Always Adapting

Lt. Col. Robert Mack, 319 MS commander, gives his impressions on the adaptive nature of ICBM Operations

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