Russell G Pirihi

Core Competencies for the Royal New Zealand Air Force Russell G Pirihi

Publisher Marketing: Carl Builder's Icarus Syndrome raises several issues that he believes have significantly detracted from the effectiveness of the USAF as an institutional body. Although not in direct response to his concerns, the USAF has attempted to regain its sense of vision and purpose. Part of that effort has resulted in the formulation of six core competencies. These core competencies tie together aspects of theory and doctrine as well as mission and vision. The core competencies (it is hoped) are very relevant to the present and future USAF, but they are less applicable to other nation's air forces. I propose to study how the six USAF core competencies may be applied (intact or modified) to the RNZAF. The Royal New Zealand Air Force, I believe, is in a similar position to that described by Carl Builder. A Defence Policy Paper has just been published by the New Zealand Government. The RNZAF could well benefit from some of the research that has produced the six core competencies for the USAF, although the results will most likely be quite different. I would like to propose some core competencies for the RNZAF in my project. My research project would thus consist of several parts: trace the evolution of the six core competencies in the USAF, analyse the RNZAF's strategic policy environment and then derive core competencies for that service.