Mar 09, 2003 at the air force academy, when a group of graduating seniors was polled not a single cadet knew the name of col. Boyd inspired the lightweight fighter program lwf that produced the successful general dynamics. One of the most important books on airpower theory, strategy, technology, organization, and history to come out this year is grant hammonds biography of col. Maj brown explains that col boyds ideas on em continue to be relevant today. Colonel john boyd, a foulmouthed, insubordinate fighter pilot who has been in his grave at arlington national cemetery for almost five years. Over his career he bought the air force its aerial attack study, invented. He served in occupied japan as a swimming instructor. John boyd was us fighter pilot who might also legitimately claim to be one of the most important strategic thinkers of the 20 th. John boyd, the ooda loop, and americas war on terror daniel. Air force was formally established as a separate force from the u.
The ideas of us air force colonel john boyd have transformed american military. Aug 02, 2017 he who can handle the quickest rate of change survives. In 1959 as a young air force captain he wrote the aerial attack study a document that in time became official air force doctrine and which once declassified had a massive impact on air forces around the world. He was laid to rest in the arlington national cemetery with full military honors on 20 march. Written by a close associate and long time friend of john boyd after boyd s death, it is grounded in the authors collaborative work with boyd that began in the mid 1980s and continued until boyd s death. John boyd was known as fortysecond boyd throughout the air force because of his promise to beat anyone in simulated airtoair combat in forty seconds or less. You academics may write articles and books, but in this building the.
Boyd reads hundreds of history books on war and develops new tactics and. He saw combat action as a fighter pilot, flying the f86 sabre during the korean war. Once again frustrated by officialdom, he decided he had had enough. Las vegas surprisingly, few airmen have heard of col. Boyd, a legendary air force fighter pilot whose discovery that quicker is better than faster became the basis of a farreaching theory that helped revolutionize american military. Boyd reads hundreds of history books on war and develops new tactics and ways of. The ideas of us air force colonel john boyd 19271997 have transformed american military policy and practice. As a fighter pilot, he was undefeated and earned the nickname 40second boyd for his ability to win any dogfight in under a minute. It is a great introduction to the generality of boyd s strategic ideas.
Colonel john boyd on march 20, 1997 a crowd gathered in the old post chapel at arlington national cemetery for the memorial service of colonel john richard boyd, united states air force, retired. A strategy masterclass from colonel john boyd on the importance of. John boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of american military history. Introduction to the strategic theories of john boyd. The fighter pilot who changed the art of war by robert. In 1959, when he was just a young captain, boyd became the first man to. Boyd was known throughout the air force as fortysecond boyd, because he had a standing offer to all pilots that if they could defeat them in simulated air to air combat in under 40. The ooda loop is the cycle observeorientdecideact, developed by military strategist and united states air force colonel john boyd. He would remain in the service until he retired from active duty in 1975. His fame came on the wings of the quirky and treacherous f100. John boyd usaf, the fighter pilot who changed the art of. Inspiring radically different opinions, he had the courage to state. A firstrate fighter pilot and a selftaught scholar, he wrote the first manual on jet aerial combat. Fadok overview colonels john boyd and john warden have contributed to the evolution of airpower theory through their respective works on strategic paralysis.
He was taken up on his offer many times and never lost. As a fighter pilot, he was undefeated and earned the nickname 40second boyd for. John boyd, robert coram declares in his biography, was one of the most. It is a great introduction to the generality of boyds strategic ideas. Boyd was known throughout the air force as fortysecond boyd, because he had a standing offer to all pilots that if they could defeat them in simulated airtoair combat in under 40. During the 1950s, john boyd dominated fighter aviation in the u. Boyd entered the air force during world war ii with a love of flying. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors.
John boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of american. John boyd was interred with full military honors from the u. For more information on boyd, the best place to start is most likely john andreas olsens 2016 article, boyd revisited. The coming assault on baghdad already has its first hero. John left his mark, wanting only to do what he thought was best for the air force, his air force. Boyd died of cancer in florida on 9 march 1997 at the age of seventy. Air powers quest for strategic paralysis by us air force and david s. John boyd misunderstood genius of warfighting cando wisdom. Written by a close associate and long time friend of john boyd after boyds death, it is grounded in the authors collaborative work with boyd that began in the mid 1980s and continued until boyds death. A great mind with a touch of madness in air power history while the best examination of boyds intellectual output is frans osingas science.
Since boyd chose not consolidate his thoughts into one or more books, osinga was forced to develop his information from boyd s slides used to brief his ideas and from. Even in the air force, where he served 24 years, he is a virtual nonperson. This is an interesting account of john boyds life and insight in us air force. A maverick fighter pilot devoted to the air force and its mission, boyd challenged orthodoxy including fighter tactics and the theory of how wars were to be fought. The ultimate guide to the ooda loop how to turn uncertainty. However, his story takes flight after he graduated from the university of iowa and was commissioned as an officer in the u. Appropriately, it is larger than life boyds life for the united states air force of today reflects the impact of many of boyds ideas. John boyd was an officer in the united states air force who lived from 19271997. According to his biographer, robert coram, john boyd made more contributions to fighter tactics, aircraft design, and the theory of air combat than any man in air force history. John boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of american military. Boyd applied the concept to the combat operations process, often at the operational level during military campaigns. Air force he served for 24 years, as well as with the highest accolade the u.
John boyd, with far fewer aware of his innovative contributions to the advancement of modernday air power. There have been other books on this topic, but in the context of boyds heroic endeavors as an individual, this book can be regarded as an excellent case study of the pathology of bureaucracythe air force regarding the navy, for example, as a greater threat to its survival than the russians. Colonel boyd was a fighter pilot, who served in the united states air force during world war ii, the korean war, and vietnam. Then boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction. Colonel boyd was a pilot in the united states air force.
His work focused on transitioning states of energy in aircraft that boyd described as the energymaneuverability em theory. For that reason there are a lot of mediocre war books. F86 sabre pilot in korea in 1953, boyd arrived in korea as an f86 sabre pilot. Though this was not known about until books were written afterwards, cheney. Throughout his career, boyd studied dogfighting principles, and looked at the ability of an aircraft to maneuver into positions of advantage where it could shoot down an opposing aircraft. One of the most important books on airpower theory, strategy, technology. Boyd was a maverick air force officer who wanted to integrate an array of divergent knowledge into a coherent system to help. His theories have been highly influential in the military, sports, business, and litigation fields boyd inspired the lightweight fighter program lwf that produced the successful general dynamics f16 fighting falcon and mcdonnell douglas fa.
On august 31, 1975, colonel john boyd officially retired from the military. The late colonel john boyd, united states air force, began his career as. However, the air force kept adding electronics to the design, and the result was far differentand much less maneuverablethan boyds initial concept. A discourse on winning and losing is the first book published on john r. Dec 04, 2008 for erie native john boyd, an early career as an air force pilot led to greater renown as a military strategist. And in one of the stories of modern military history, the air force fighter pilot. It is now also often applied to understand commercial operations and learning processes. In the fifties and sixties he developed air combat tactics and trained pilots at the fighter weapons school at nellis air force base near las vegas. Having written the first book on john boyd that focused more on his ideas than his personal story, i have been asked by colleagues at air university press to edit and introduce the publication of john boyds famous briefing entitled a discourse on winning and losing. A great mind with a touch of madness in air power history while the best examination of boyds intellectual output is frans osingas science, strategy and war. Some recall him as the father of our countrys most legendary fighter aircraft the f15 and f16. In 1953, boyd arrived in korea as an f86 sabre pilot. Or you can go that way and you can do something something for your country and for your air force and for yourself.
John richard boyd january 23, 1927 march 9, 1997 was a united states air force fighter pilot and pentagon consultant of the late 20th century. Boyd and cofounder tom christie, a mathematician who worked for the air force as a ballistics analyst, met during their time at eglin air force base in florida during the vietnam war. The fighter pilot who changed the art of war by robert coram. Yet on capitol hill, in the pentagon and at many highlevel military.
His theories have been highly influential in the military, sports, business, and litigation fields. The ideas of us air force colonel john boyd have transformed american military policy and practice. He changed the complexion of air combat and fighter design. At the fighter weapons school, the air force s advanced tactics course that the navys top gun school was later based on, he laid down a challenge to anyone who would take it, in forty seconds, boyd would maneuver from from having you on his six, to being on your six and winning the battle. Air force colonel john boyd, the ooda loop is a practical concept designed to be the foundation of rational thinking in confusing or chaotic situations. Boyd quotes by robert coram meet your next favorite book. Boyd was a us air force fighter pilot turned engineer and scholar, who wrote the aerial attack study. The mind of war navy general library program downloadable. He is the author of seven novels and four nonfiction books, including american. Furthermore, col boyd also helped with the development of the.