When You Get a Job to Do, Do It: The Airpower Leadership of Lt. General William H. Tunner - The Underappreciated Contributions to Airlift, World War II and Cold War, Hump and Berlin Airlift Operations

This excellent report, professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, examines the underappreciated work of Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner and his contributions to the airlift element of airpower. Throughout the brief history of military aviation and the United States Air Force, there have been many great leaders. Several, such as Mitchell, Foulois, Spaatz, and Arnold, built the foundation for military aviation and championed an independent air force. Others, such as LeMay, Quesada, and Schriever, shaped the Air Force and developed specific elements of air and space power. While these leaders tend to be revered and studied by military professionals attending Air Force advanced education programs, Lt Gen William H. Tunner and his contributions to the airlift element of airpower do not receive similar attention.

Gen Curtis LeMay described Tunner as "the transportation expert to end transportation experts." As a graduate of the US Military Academy in 1928, Tunner pursued a career in aviation and gained valuable experience as an Army Air Corps pilot, leader, and staff officer during the interwar period. In 1941, this experience landed him a job on the staff of the newly formed Ferrying Command, which held the critical responsibility of moving aircraft from US factories to American and Allied combat units overseas. A year later, when Ferrying Command was expanded and reorganized into Air Transport Command (ATC), Tunner was chosen to command Ferrying Division. These early experiences and leadership opportunities provided Tunner with a strong foundation in air mobility.

From 1944 to 1949, Tunner leveraged his expertise in air transportation to successfully command the "Hump" airlift operation and the Berlin airlift. Tunner thereafter served in a variety of Air Force leadership positions that included command of Combat Cargo Command during the Korean War, command of US Air Forces in Europe, and command of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS). As the MATS commander, he pressed for the development of a modern mobility aircraft fleet, resulting in the modernization of existing aircraft and the development and procurement of the C-141. While these later stages of Tunner's career are worthy of study, this paper focuses on his experience and actions up to 1949 and his performance as a leader while commanding two historic airlift campaigns.