EVENTS

Bressoud
Chartier
Chinn
Clark, D., et al.
Clark, L.
Covington
Daniels/Armendariz
George
Hodge
Insall
Landry
Laursen/Douglas
Mahavier
McKee, et al.
Moore/Rossa
Nordstrom
Parker
Renesse/Hotchkiss
Renesse
Roe
Saturday AM
Selden, et al.
Shubin
Siegel
Socha, et al.
Sommers
Spresser
Yoshinobu, et al.

Brian “Coach” Landry           
Lt. Col. United States Air Force, Air University

Of Lions and Gazelles

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running!
         (As cited in Friedman 2005, The World is Flat)

In his national best seller The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman described the idea of globalization and the continuous process of the world “flattening.”  Especially given the technological advancements of the last 30 years, no longer are countries like India distant foreign places.  It’s just a mouse click away.  As one example of the impact, the concept of a flat world has changed not only the way business is practiced, but it has changed the whole global economic picture.  Another example is that it has also had enormous impact on the world’s militaries.  New types of military forces are appearing as well as the ways these military forces are being employed to achieve national objectives.  As larger, democratic states are becoming more judicious with the application of military power, smaller, secular enemy states are learning how to leverage nontraditional forces in a globalized fashion for strategic advantage.  Indeed, not only has the face of the enemy changed, but as the conduct of warfare undergoes this epic transition, a new paradigm faces civil and military leaders alike as they develop strategies demonstrating national resolve.

Who is the enemy?   What does the enemy look like?  How do they fight?  How do we beat them?  These questions are simple, but often hard to answer.  The answers require individuals capable of thinking and processing information in very fluid, dynamic environments.  The USAF needs leaders that are capable of producing answers that will win our nation’s wars.  Therefore, the USAF must develop minds that are talented, creative thinkers.  Education and training must be accomplished in a manner that not only encourages the building of knowledge and skill, but in a manner that facilitates growth of the thinking capacity of the human mind!  Inquiry based learning is one categorical technique that is utilized throughout a professional military members career! 

This lecture shares one USAF officer’s perspective of how inquiry based learning is utilized in the classrooms to educate and train USAF officers.  A brief overview of concepts precedes discussion on specific techniques employed in the classroom by Lt Col Landry at the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL