Information Technology Allows for New Leadership and Command and Control Philosophies

The United States (US) is transitioning from the industrial age to the information age. The rapid change and availability of information technology is affecting the military. The Department of Defense contends that the military services must undergo a cultural change to be more innovative in order to take advantage of information technology. The Department is proposing the cultural change through the implementation of its Network-Centric Warfare theory. Network-Centric Warfare theory has been met by resistance from many organizations within the Department. For its part the Air Force has shown that it is an innovative organization that can take advantage of information technology to improve its warfighting capability. However, the Air Force has also shown that limitations within the service do exist but it is not from information technology or innovation.