Lead Warfighters and Innovations

<p>Each war has a set of unique contextual elements that make it different from the wars of the past; thus preparing for war will inevitably uncover capability gaps and deficiencies in warfighting capability. This paper explores the methods used by the Air Force acquisition community during combat operations to fill those gaps with a specific concentration on developing and employing immature systems via the rapid response process (RRP). New concepts such as effects-based operations (EBO) and evolutionary acquisition have the potential to enhance the acquisition professional's ability to support the warfighter during times of conflict. EBO will enhance the war planner's ability to highlight capability gaps and with increased collaboration the warfighters and acquisition professionals can work together to produce enhanced warfighting capability. Evolutionary acquisition through spiral development will speed up the acquisition process and provide more options for filling capability gaps. Underlying each of these concepts is the premise that the Air Force is able to innovate. Undoubtedly the Air Force can innovate; however research shows that modifications to current organizations are required to maximize the Air Force's most important source of innovation-the lead warfighters. These modifications will enhance collaboration between the acquisition professionals and the lead warfighters to ensure the Air Force is capitalizing on this important source of innovation.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>