CSAF Gen. Mark Welsh has released his 2015 reading list, with “Air Commanders” topping the list.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh has unveiled his annual reading list — 12 titles mostly recommended by you.
More than 1,700 airmen wrote in over 10 days recommending favorite books and movies, enough, Welsh wrote in his opening message, to “fill a library … with amazing fictional, historical, and biographical works, along with fascinating ideas about personal and organizational values, growth, and success.”
Topping this year’s book list is the 2012 “Air Commanders” by John Andreas Olsen. Part-military biography and part-operational analysis, the book tells the stories of 12 airmen who “shaped the central air campaigns in American history,” according to a synopsis.
Coming in at No. 2 is “No Place to Hide,” the story of the 120 days former Air Force neurosurgeon Maj. Lee Warren spend inside a tent hospital in Iraq.
“It’s easy to focus on tales of ‘leadership in the air;’ Dr. Warren’s story reminds us that, for Airmen, the Profession of Arms encompasses service across multiple domains…and all of them at times require profound dedication and sacrifice,” Welsh wrote.
The remaining 10 titles on the CSAF’s list cover a range of topics, from cyber security and cyber warfare to how-tos on professionalism, leadership and making yourself indispensable in the workplace.
The oldest book to make the list, the 1968 novel “Once an Eagle,” is required reading for West Point and Marine Corps cadets. But, Welsh wrote, “no fewer than 31 Airmen felt that ‘Once an Eagle’ was a must-read…and it is indeed a timeless story of leadership, and of values in action.”
Check out the whole list here.
