"Jeffry Smith updates the earlier release of Col Timothy T. Timmon's Commanding an Air Force Squadron (1993). In this book, which includes a foreword by Gen John P. Jumper and an introduction by Colonel Timmons, USAF, retired, Colonel Smith relies on the vast "insights, experiences, and recommendations" of former and current commanders to identify the attributes of a successful commander at multiple levels. He identifies some issues commanders face regardless of the level of command, including counseling personnel, dorm inspections, commanders' calls, money management, and the roles of spouses and families. According to Colonel Smith, the conduct of individuals in times of crises is the truest barometer of a good commander."--Publisher website.

The concept of command in a military setting is nothing new. It proliferates throughout most good history books. Many different individuals have exercised this phenomenon called commander: Alexander the Great as he conquered the known world; Attila the Hun in the fifth century A.D.; Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant against each other during our Civil War; and General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower in Europe during the Second World War. These leaders are certainly a varied grouping: they were literally and figuratively worlds apart; they were surely loved by thousands of people and probably despised by an equal number, and with the exception of Lee and Grant, lived in different eras. But they shared this one common thread – military command. In the United States Air Force, an officer's first opportunity to command in the true sense of the word occurs at the squadron level. Most Air Force officers who have been commanders will tell you that their command tours were the best years of their careers, and a majority of those who commanded at multiple levels will tell you that squadron command was the absolute pinnacle. This book is all about squadron command. Colonel-select Jeff Smith has done a tremendous job in gathering the thoughts and ideas of many commanders, including himself, and offering the reader the opportunity learn from literally a hundred former and current commanders. After conducting extensive research, Colonel Smith presents “the best of the best” on a wide range of topics that directly apply to squadron commanders. “Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-First Century” does not pretend to present the patented answer to any problem, issue or situation. Colonel Smith does not direct you to ready or study instruction and regulations as if you need textbook answer to command a squadron – you don't. Finally, he does not discuss units other than squadrons and does not discuss squadron command as if it were accomplished I the first 50 years of our Air Force's history. What Colonel Smith does do is present a plethora of account of how recent and current squadron commander have approached today's situations, problems, and issues. He paints a picture of commanding a squadron through the eyes of a hundred individuals and offers it to the reader in a well-written, easy-to-read format that might be best described as “Dutch uncle advice.” Any commander or soon-to-be commander can pick up this book, read it, and come away with new ideas or methods that he or she will be able to apply to his or her own situations. Please also see a previous book entitled “Commanding an Air Force Squadron (1993)” by Timothy T. Timmons, Col, USAF.

The opportunity to command is a tremendous honor and responsibility and unquestionably will be one of the most significant roles of your Air Force career. The very nature of command is unique to the military; there is no civilian equivalent for this level of trust, authority, and responsibility. The essence of command is leadership, and your example will set the standard for your entire organization. For this reason, command is reserved for those individuals exhibiting only the highest levels of integrity, selflessness, and excellence. Leadership is not accomplished from behind the desk or by way of E-mail; rather, effective leadership requires you to lead from out front. Since the responsibilities of such leadership may appear daunting to first-time commanders, our Air Force places significant emphasis on precommand training to ensure your readiness for these new responsibilities. Immerse yourself in the available training to ensure you fully understand the rules of engagement. There is much to learn from the insights, experiences, and recommendations of previous commanders. Lt Col Jeff Smith's Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-First Century provides some excellent perspectives from current and graduated commanders to help set your course and prepare you for the best job in the Air Force. Congratulations on your command and Godspeed!

The opportunity to command is a tremendous honor and responsibility and unquestionably will be one of the most significant roles of your Air Force career. The very nature of command is unique to the military; there is no civilian equivalent for this level of trust, authority, and responsibility. The essence of command is leadership, and your example will set the standard for your entire organization. For this reason, command is reserved for those individuals exhibiting only the highest levels of integrity, selflessness, and excellence. Leadership is not accomplished from behind the desk or by way of E-mail; rather, effective leadership requires you to lead from out front. Since the responsibilities of such leadership may appear daunting to first-time commanders, our Air Force places significant emphasis on precommand training to ensure your readiness for these new responsibilities. Immerse yourself in the available training to ensure you fully understand the rules of engagement. There is much to learn from the insights, experiences, and recommendations of previous commanders. Lt Col Jeff Smith's Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-First Century provides some excellent perspectives from current and graduated commanders to help set your course and prepare you for the best job in the Air Force. Congratulations on your command and Godspeed! John P. Jumper General, USAF Chief of Staff

This book is a primer designed to accompany appropriate courseware in multiple Air University syllabi and to offer an accessible reference to those MAJCOMs who sponsor their own squadron commander pre-command courses. This book does not espouse particular leadership or command duties and responsibilities. There are many excellent readings by very talented and more qualified people on those subjects. This book is not a scholarly effort - nor is it intended to be, It is an easy read' for those who are about to assume the intense responsibility of command. It is full of recent experiences and examples offered by those who have recently graduated from command. To be frank, this guide is an effort to allow the reader to learn from others' mistakes and successes. It is chock full of real life experiences and practical advice learned often by the seat of the pants. I interviewed more than 100 active and former United States Air Force squadron commanders with one simple goal in mind - to provide you, the incoming squadron commander, a collection of experiences you can relate to when the situation arises on your watch. And it will. This book is not a checklist of actions to follow under every possible situation you may face while in command, Rather, it touches on many of the commonalities of command that face those selected today.

While mentorship does exist within the United States Air Force, there is not nearly enough of resource to go around. The aim of this book is to provide straight-forward mentorship for those seeking frank and honest leadership advice. This advice comes from CGOs and young FGOs, those who are sitting at the forefront of officer and NCO leadership. We know what the absence of mentoring feels like in the earlier ranks. his book does not contain the pontifications or orations of senior leaders, it instead offers a more direct and candid approach, thereby avoiding the dryness found in contemporary leadership works. We, the authors, want to speak to you, the reader, the way we would speak to our mentees - the way we would speak to each other.