Our unified or joint system of command is at the heart of our ability to plan and conduct the operations required to implement the national military strategy. The joint system is disciplined by the principle that allows decisions to be made at the lowest possible level so that flexibility is given, along with the necessary authority, initiative, and responsibility, to those who can use it to the best advantage - the joint commanders on the scene.Our commanders exist to be ready to fight and fight successfully. Should deterrence fail, they are the ones who will carry out our war plans. We must make sure that commanders get the forces they need and that the forces of the four services are integrated properly. We must realize the full potential of those forces by ensuring that they can work together through sensible equipment, effective joint doctrine, and exercises. Interoperability and effectively coordinated joint and combined operations will give us a payoff that is greater than the sum of the individual parts.This book addresses one important aspect of our joint doctrine for unified operations within a theater - joint warfare for airland combat. Without clearly defined and well-practiced joint tactics, techniques, procedures and an organization for airland combat, the effective employment of all arms toward a single objective is made difficult, even wasteful and dangerous.The author is well qualified to write this book. He served on the Air Staff during the important years in which the airland battle interface was developed and participated in the Air Staff contributions to the U.S. Army's Extended Battlefield and AirLand Battle Concepts. While assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colonel Cardwell participated in the development of NATO's and SHAPE's Conceptual Military Frameworks, SHAPE's Follow-On Forces Attack Concept, the Joint Staff's Interdiction and Follow-On Forces Attack Studies, and the Joint Doctrine Development Program.Colonel Cardwell has traced for us the development of airland combat strategy since World War I, outlined current thinking on the subject, and offered prescriptions for strengthening our capabilities for joint operations. In so doing, he has built a valuable source document on airland combat and contributed to the dialogue on joint doctrine in a meaningful and useful way.John W. Vessey, Jr.General, USA, Retired