America, Global Military Competition, and Opportunities Lost Audiobook By Robbin Laird, Michael Wynne cover art

America, Global Military Competition, and Opportunities Lost

Reflections on the Work of Michael W. Wynne

 Virtual Voice Sample

$0.00 for first 30 days

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

America, Global Military Competition, and Opportunities Lost

By: Robbin Laird, Michael Wynne
Narrated by: Virtual Voice
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $6.95

Buy for $6.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel
Background images

This title uses virtual voice narration

Virtual voice is computer-generated narration for audiobooks.

About this listen

 The Wynne Doctrine: Innovation, Leadership, and the Fight for America's Military Future

This book chronicles the visionary leadership of Michael W. Wynne, the 21st Secretary of the Air Force, whose prescient warnings and bold innovations were dismissed—only to become America's most urgent military priorities two decades later.

At the heart of Wynne's philosophy lies a simple but powerful doctrine: "If you are ever involved in a fair fight, it is the result of poor planning." This principle drove his relentless pursuit of military superiority through breakthrough technologies and strategic thinking that was years ahead of its time.

The book reveals how Wynne championed game-changing innovations that would define 21st-century warfare: fifth-generation air dominance, hypersonic weapons, revolutionary logistics systems using UID and RFID technology, cyber warfare capabilities, and the military "kill web" that transforms decision-making through OODA loop dynamics. His vision extended beyond technology to forge interoperable coalitions and partnerships that multiply American power globally.

A Cautionary Tale of Strategic Blindness

The 2008 firing of both Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Moseley marked a historic inflection point—and a catastrophic strategic blunder. Their dismissal wasn't merely a personnel change; it signaled America's retreat from the very capabilities that would prove essential in an era of great power competition. Instead of maintaining air and naval superiority, the nation squandered two decades and countless resources on land-based operations that left America vulnerable and unprepared.

When President Trump declared the arrival of "great power competition," the innovations Wynne had pioneered suddenly became national priorities. But twenty years had been lost—years America couldn't afford to waste while rivals advanced.

As Lt. General David Deptula writes: "Leadership is more than a title—it is a calling." Wynne answered that call with unmatched vision, only to watch his warnings go unheeded until crisis forced America to confront uncomfortable truths about its military future.

This book stands as both a tribute to transformational leadership and a stark reminder of the price of strategic shortsightedness in an unforgiving world.
 International Relations Military Politics & Government Public Policy Innovation War Air Force
No reviews yet