The job of an airman includes a long list of responsibilities, and commanders want to ensure that their troops develop their minds along with their combat prowess.
To help guide servicemembers in their training, the Air Force's top general, the Air Force Chief of Staff, publishes a list of various works to help guide members to topics relevant to the life of an airman. The list changes yearly and contains a multitude of works ranging from military-centric to advice on life and career skills.
Unlike the Marine Corps and Army Lists that we have previously covered, the Air Force list includes not only books but also works of art, movies, and even TED talks. We went through and selected the 11 most important and interesting works in the list and offer a brief glimpse into each piece.
"Band of Brothers" by HBO
"Band of Brothers" is an HBO Emmy-winning miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and is based on the book by Stephen E. Ambrose. The series follows "Easy Company" of the 101st Airborne Division from jump training to their time spent fighting in Europe during World War II.
The series offers a dramatic look into the personal lives of men at war, and the issues they face. The book was based on countless personal interviews with the men of "Easy Company," and the series continues in that vein with many interviews and recollections from the veterans depicted in the series. The interviews with the men, almost 60 years removed from the war they fought, sets the series apart as powerful filmmaking.
"Inside Combat Rescue" by National Geographic
The Air Force's pararescuemen are an elite group of individuals and some of the strongest and toughest members of the Air Force and the U.S. military. The mission of pararescue, or PJs as they are commonly called, is to rescue forces in danger, whether they are trapped behind enemy lines or in hostile territory.
The documentary from National Geographic follows a group of PJs during a tour in Afghanistan. The documentarians embed with the PJs during their missions, which allows the viewers to see the PJs in action first-hand. It's a fascinating look into a group who make their motto "that others may live" a part of their daily lives.
"The Invisible War" by Kirby Dick
Documentarian Kirby Dick received the U.S. Documentary Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and his second nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards for his work "The Invisible War." In it, he tackles the pernicious issue of sexual assault in the military.
The film is so moving that two days after watching it, then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta held a press conference to discuss changes to the way the military handles sexual assault. This is an important film about an issue that still plagues the military and will likely leave you infuriated after watching it.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider