Aerospace Power's Contribution to Humanitarian Assistance Missions

The US military's joint doctrine identifies humanitarian assistance (HA) as one of 16 Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW). The military's goal is to relieve the suffering of natural and man-made disasters. Often times, these disasters are superimposed with civil war or other political and security challenges, transforming them into situations known as "complex emergencies." Within these emergencies, actors use food as a deadly weapon. Unfortunately, contemporary military doctrine supporting HA remains underdeveloped compared to more traditional war fighting missions. This research focuses on framing airpower's desired effects during HA missions, missions analyzed for tactical (i.e., local), operational (i.e., regional), and strategic (i.e., national and international) implications.