SOS Think Tank

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES

05.01.2019

Video by Lester Finuf, Michael Hasenauer and Tech. Sgt. Robert Webb

Air University Public Affairs

The Think Tank Elective was introduced at Squadron Officer School in January 2013. The elective was a spin-off of the Critical Analysis assignment, which tasked students to research a strategic level problem (of their choosing) and develop recommendations on how to solve it. The faculty quickly realized that the students were making valid, well thought-out, recommendations to come of the Air Forces's most difficult strategic-level problems. Unfortunately there was no avenue to get these recommendation in front of the senior level decision makers with the capability to affect change...enter the Think Tank.
Think Tank is a SOS elective that tasks its participants to look at a current Air Force issue and make recommendations from a CGO perspective on how to solve it. In-residence students interested in participating in the Think Tank Elective are asked to submit a short paper the second day of class. From these essays, participants are picked based on their critical thought in response to the question and their writing ability. The participants are divided into groups, each with a senior mentor (O-6 or PHD with a background in the selected topic) and a faculty advisor. All groups are then given a problem and tasked to research and make recommendations, with the ultimate goal of briefing their findings/recommendation to the AETC/CC.

Topics addressed by Think Tank and the associated products by the students can be accessed below. If you would like more information on the Think Tank, call the SOC front office DSN 493-1197 or Commercial [phone].

• Date Taken: 05.01.2019
• Date Posted: 05.01.2019 17:12
• Category: Package
• Video ID: 676451
• VIRIN: 190501-F-AQ084-444
• Filename: DOD_106697375
• Length: 00:01:28
• Location: MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA, US