The Air Force is changing. It has recently defined its mission as the defense of the United States through the control and exploitation of Air and Space. Indicative of this expanse into space is the establishment of a school to train all new Air Force officers in a common grounding of what it means to be an airman. This fundamental raison d' ětre centers on the mission of strategic strike at the enemy's heart. This mission will occur through the air and space medium. Airmen bring special expertise to those mediums. Whereas the Air Force combat mission formerly centered on pilots in manned combat aircraft, the Air Force has now expanded its definition of "operators" to any military or civilian member who is experienced in the employment and doctrine of air and space power. This re-embrace of the strategic strike mission into an expanded air and space environment acknowledges the concept that defined the Air Force as a separate service. This renaissance was prompted by an "identity crisis" fomented with the Soviet Union's collapse and competition for scarce resources among the services as they increasingly duplicated each other's capabilities.
