Author: Matt Dietz
MATT DIETZ is a Colonel in the US Air Force and head of the history department at the US Air Force Academy. He holds a PhD from the University of North Texas in the history of air power, military theory, and strategic thought. As an Air Force F-15E instructor pilot he logged more than 2,500 flight hours during his career, deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, served as a NATO planner for Operation Unified Protector, and was the Director of Operations for US Air Forces Central Command. Matt lives in Colorado with his wife and two sons.
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Works Published by UNT Press
Eagles Overhead: The History of US Air Force Forward Air Controllers, from the Meuse-Argonne to Mosul
— Vol. 7: of American Military Studies
Published: February, 2023 Pages: 368 Features: 36 b&w illus. Notes. Bib. Index.
US Air Force Forward Air Controllers (FACs) bridge the gap between air and land power. They operate in the grey area of the battlefield, serving as an aircrew who flies above the battlefield, spots the enemy, and relays targeting information to control close air support attacks by other faster aircraft. When done well, Air Force FACs are the fulcrum for successful employment of air power in support of ground forces. Unfortunately, FACs in recent times have been shunned by both ground and air forces, their mission complicated by inherent difficulty and danger, as well as by the vicissitudes of defense budgets, technology, leadership, bureaucracy, and doctrine. more... about Eagles Overhead: The History of US Air Force Forward Air Controllers, from the Meuse-Argonne to Mosul