This study examined the historical role of traditional education, defined as education which results in the awarding of a degree, for line officers in the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The research question asked was: For the line officer corps, how has education in the USAF emphasized the need for an academic degree? A literature review focused on the programs of Air University, the USAF education command. Other pertinent areas examined included Air Force Institute of Technology, the United States Air Force Academy, Air Training Command, and basic doctrine. Two hypotheses were proposed: the evolution of the command architecture has emphasized the need for academic degrees, and the evolution of doctrine and policy has emphasized the need for academic degrees. Selected findings were that the first hypothesis was partially supported and the second hypothesis was supported. The USAF succeeded in establishing a culture which prized the individual effort required to obtain a degree education on one's own time. After the conditions which spawned that culture changed, after every officer had an undergraduate degree, the culture persisted in prizing the effort. An advanced degree was a tangible symbol of an officer's dedication to the ideals of USAF professionalism.

ADA 312970 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)