This superb introduction to NATO is written for the national security novice, yet is full of insights for the more seasoned hand interested in how and why NATO reached its current state. In the more than half-century since NATO was founded, there has been endless debate about its purpose, about whether it is meeting that purpose, and about the strategies it employs to that end. Speculation has also been rife about the organization's "imminent demise." Those questions and more are the subject of NATO: A Guide to the Issues. Covering the organization from its founding in 1949 through the present, the guide examines aspects of NATO that have undergone tremendous change over the years, including its purpose, military mission, geographic concept of operations, and membership. At the same time, it explores key aspects of NATO's organization that have remained constant. These include the ability of members to participate in operations as much or as little as they desire, decision-making by consensus, and a general belief that people from different countries working together on a daily basis promotes cooperation, understanding, and friendship. Illustrations Maps A chronology

Toward the end of World War II, the commander of the Air Corps, General Henry "Hap" Arnold, remarked: "Someday . . . the man holding my job will meet here with a staff of scientists, and they will wear no pilot's wings on their chests." That day may be near. Here, Collins reveals the emerging challenges posed by cyberspace to the traditional culture of the Air Force. The U.S. Air Force added cyberspace to its warfighting mission in December 2005, and the 8th Air Force was assigned operational responsibility for cyberspace in November 2006. These events clearly indicate that the nexus of activities collectively known as command, control, communications, computer systems, and intelligence, which are the nervous system of the military, had achieved critical mass. Such activities are no longer merely important to airpower, but form the basis for independent operations in cyberspace. Although the technological implications of this shift in Air Force missions is apparent, the ultimate impact on the officer corps is not. While fighter pilots have traditionally represented the image of the Air Force, today more and more officers work at remote consoles operating unmanned aerial vehicles that deliver precision-guided munitions.