Every strategy, every operational design, every weapon system depends on assumptions. They have to. But Masters of the Air tacitly rebukes those who are too wedded to their assumptions. Better to cultivate a skeptical, scientific cast of mind and the mental dexterity that comes with it. The unexpected will happen in warfare. It’s crucial to hedge against it. 

Take it from the Bloody Hundredth. 

About the Author: Dr. James Holmes, U.S. Naval War College 

Dr. James Holmes is J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College and a Nonresident Fellow at the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. The views voiced here are his alone.