An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Free books for Airmen to expand their knowledge

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Dan Wells
  • 305th Operations Group
McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  How would you like a free box of books on airpower? If getting some free books and learning more about the nature of air and space power, warfare and national security sounds good to you then log onto http://www. au.af.mil/au/aul/aupress/ to view the selection. 

Building up your personal book collection with some free books from the AU Press is a great way to start your professional reading program. It's also an excellent way to help build the professional development of others. 

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force encourages every Airman to include a reading program as part of his or her professional development. Starting a professional reading program will help you develop a better understanding of Air Force heritage as well as further your knowledge of the profession of arms. When General Fogleman started the CSAF Professional Reading Program in 1996 he said, "The more books you read, the better you will understand the background behind the Air Force's core competencies, and the better equipped you will be to form and express your own opinions." 

The books published by the AU Press are an excellent supplement to the CSAF's reading list, and they fit well with General T. Michael Mosley's vision for his reading program which, as he says, is "designed to encourage Airmen toward pursuing knowledge that grounds them in history, sustains them in today's flight and propels them toward our limitless horizon." 

Of the 87 books on the AU Press site, I recommend you start with Heirpower: Eight Basic Habits of Exceptionally Powerful Lieutenants by retired Chief Master Sgt. Bob Vásquez. This book provides a sound starting point and also gives us direction for our journey to that horizon. Anyone who had the pleasure of hearing Chief Vasquez speak at McGuire would tell you his message is not only entertaining, but it also applies equally well to officer and enlisted members. 

After you finish reading Heirpower, I'd like to encourage you to lend it to a friend. Since the book is free, you won't lose anything if it isn't returned, and you'll be passing on some excellent professional development. Another approach you could use is to find a person in your organization who would be interested in the book or someone that would benefit from reading it. Later, when you sit down and discuss the book, you'll both get more out of the information. 

In the foreward to the Winter 2006 edition of the Air and Space Power Journal, Brig. Gen. Fullhart encourages commanders to buy books for their subordinates. He goes on to say, "Simply sitting down and discussing a book on a designated day during the week, perhaps at lunch, will produce amazing results." Our own wing commander has placed General Fullhart's message into action by starting a reading program for commanders and chiefs. 

Your reading need not be as elaborate as Col. Rick Martin's, 305th Air Mobility Wing commander. Just lend out a book or two and stop by sometime to discuss some of the topics. You'll be surprised at how well it works. 

Logging onto the AU Web site and browsing through the books is a simple and free first step to starting your own professional reading program. When you finish reading that first book, remember to pass it on. You might be helping to develop another great leader.