Air Force operations and organization doctrine updated, released Published July 28, 2006 By Lt. Col. Mary C. McCarthy Air Force Doctrine Center MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley has approved the latest revision to Air Force Doctrine Document 2, Operations and Organization. It is considered the Air Force's capstone document outlining the operations and organization of air and space power, officials said. The revised document has been posted on the Air Force Doctrine Center's home page. This version has been updated significantly since the previous publication of AFDD 2 in 2000. AFDD 2 describes how the Air Force functions at the operational level of war. This latest revision gives Airmen the latest doctrinal principles about planning, organizing and employing Air Force operations. The publication also was restructured for better presentation of key ideas and also introduces new material clearly. The new revision of AFDD 2 introduces the fact that air and space power operates in ways that are fundamentally different from other forms of military power. Air power and space power are more akin to each other than to the other forms of military power. AFDD 2 also discusses the Airman's perspective and explains why that perspective is different from those who operate on land or at sea. AFDD 2 notes that because air and space power encompass a wide range of capabilities and operating environments it defies a single, general model for organization, planning and employment. It states that "at the focus of operations within any region, it is possible to place the collective capabilities of air and space power in the hands of a single Airman through an adroit arrangement of command relationships, focused expeditionary organization, reachback and forward deployment of specialized talent." This recognition of different organizational models, and how they can be tied together effectively, is at the heart of AFDD 2. New to this version of AFDD 2 is a discussion of homeland operations. It explains the types of tasks Airmen may perform in this environment, and later in the pub examines some unique organizational considerations. A new chapter on operations contains the Air Force's thinking on the effects-based approach to military operations and introduces the basic principles of effects based operations. The chapter on Air Force organization afield has been expanded based on experience gained since the previous edition, and a new section addresses the integration of regionally based and functionally organized forces. In parallel with the discussion on Air Force organization, which includes an update to the A-Staff organization, there is a new chapter on joint organizations and how the air and space expeditionary task force best operates within the joint organization. Discussions on air and space operations centers have also been greatly expanded to include air mobility and space operations centers, organization and processes. The A-staff discussion has been updated to reflect more current responsibilities. The Air Force Doctrine Center's commander, Maj. Gen. Allen Peck, explained the importance of the changes within the revised document: "AFDD 2 distills a lot of our experience from the last several years of operations around the world. It's been a very busy time for all our Armed Forces, and we've worked hard to be able to capture a lot of this and get it into this publication." Retired Lt. Col. Bob Poynor, a military doctrine analyst at the center, explained the revisions: "This version expands on experience gained in our deployments since 9/11: setting up and operating expeditionary bases, sometimes from scratch; organizing creatively to handle the mix of forces and JTFs within U.S. Central Command; and altering our mindset to deal with standing operations in the homeland," Colonel Poynor said. "We've learned a lot of little things since the last version was approved in 2000, and we've tried to weave them into this version so that it's more useful. Compared to this publication, the previous version, which reflected the lessons from Kosovo, was a bit more basic. "This version of AFDD 2 provides a better foundation for thinking about air and space operations. In general, the scope has been greatly expanded over the previous version. For one thing, it expresses the Air Force's thinking on effects-based operations for the first time in doctrine," he said. The document is available for download from the AFDC website at https://www.doctrine.af.mil/ or at http://afdc.maxwell.af.mil. Professional military education schools will begin teaching from it soon.