Case for Adding Battle Management to Basic Air Force Doctrine

According to JP 1-02, Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, battle management is "The management of activities within the operational environment, based on the commands direction, and guidance given by appropriate authority." The crews that execute the battle management function are awarded the 13B AFSC and are called Air Battle Managers. This thesis explores the validity or feasibility of adopting battle management as an operational function in United States Air Force Basic Doctrine. Specifically, the study focuses on whether or not the duties associated with battle management meet the criteria listed in basic doctrine to be formally considered an operational function. Air Force Basic Doctrine contains seventeen key operational functions, but does not list battle management as one of them. The impact battle management has on mission accomplishment is significant enough to warrant clearly written doctrinal guidance. The lessons learned from multiple, recent operations show the importance of integrating battle management into all aspects of every Aerospace operational function. Due, in part, to a lack of doctrinal guidance that covers battle management, many military operational leaders do not understand how to properly integrate battle management functions into mission planning, execution, and debriefing. This study will use historical combat operations, personal interviews, and doctrinal analysis to show why battle management is indeed a vital operational function of Aerospace power.