SSgt-TSgt PDG exam questions with expert solutions

WWII proved that ___ superiority was a required component for the success of land,sea and air operations.

Air

What is the name of Germany's Air Force, which emphasized speed and concentration of forces to crush their enemies and spawned the term "Blitzkrieg" or "lightning war"

The Luftwaffe

British Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding's Fighter Command had been preparing for a German onslaught since 1937 and used Sir Robert Watson-Watt's ___ innovation to create an effective, integrated air defense system.

Radar

The Enigma machine was Britain's top-secret advantage over the Germans in WWII. What did it do?

The machine deciphered codes providing information (known as ULTRA) that forewarned British intelligence of major attacks. It also provided invaluable insight into the status of German maintenance and logistics.

In September 1940, Hitler abandoned his invasion of ___

Britain

To manage growing American air power, a major reorganization created the US Army Air Forces. Who was appointed as its Commanding General?

General Henry "Hap" Arnold

What document was created in August 1941, providing a blueprint for the strategic air campaign against the Axis?

The Air War Planning Document 1.

The Casablanca Directive of January 1943 inaugurated the Combined Bomber Offensive, codenamed Operation PointBlank. What two bombing styles did it combine?

American precision daylight bombing and British night area bombing.

By D-Day, 6 June 1944, the Allied Air Forces dominated the skies of Europe with new aircraft, tactics and ___

Superior numbers.

When did General Spaatz declare the end of the strategic air war against Germany, as all significant targets were considered destroyed?

16 April 1945

Who was one of the enlisted force's most decorated Airmen of WWII and was the only enlisted Airmen to have a B-17 named after him?

Sgt Sandy Sanchez

Name the TSgt who was liberated by the British army as a POW in Germany in 1945 and later became the first CMSAF in 1967.

TSgt Paul Airey. (Also received the first Air Force POW medal in 1988.)

The first Tuskegee Airmen to fight in WWII were members of the ___ Squadron.

99th Fighter Squadron

Which Tuskegee Airman commanded the 99th Fighter Squadron and later became an Air Force general officer?

Col Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.

Who became a popular hero as a gunner in both Europe and the Pacific during WWII and was decorated eight times for heroism, including personal recognition by Generals MacArthur, Eisenhower and Doolittle?

Cpl John D. Foley, nicknamed "Johnny Zero."

US carrier-based aviation proved the value of air power at sea with Naval aviation playing a vital role in the Pacific War T/F

True.

At what battle on 4 June 1942 did US Navy pilots sink four Japanese carriers and turn the tide of war in the Pacific

The Battle of Midway.

Who assumed command of the Fifth Air Force in 1942 and maximized the resource-poor command's combat power?

Maj. Gen George C. Kenney.

What air power capability did the 1st Air Commando Group demonstrate while helping British "Chindit" forces conduct long-range penetration missions against the Japanese?

That airpower can support unconventional warfare any time, any place.

How did Maj Gen Curtis E. LeMay alter the B-29 tactics when he assumed command of the XX Bomber Command crews in the Pacific?

He ordered low-altitude night attacks with bombers stripped of defensive machine guns, reduced fuel loads and increased bomb loads.

The Enola Gay, piloted by ___, dropped a uranium bomb (known as "Little Boy") over Hiroshima on 6 Aug 1945, destroying nearly five square miles of the city and killing 80,000 people.

Col Paul Tibbets

Who commanded Bockscar, the WWII aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki?

Maj Charles W. Sweeney

What date did Stuart Symington, the first Secretary of the Air Force, officially establish the USAF as an independent, coequal service?

18 September 1947

Why did the newly established Air Force create an Airman Career Program?

To encourage long-term careers for enlisted specialists, as promotion and specialization went hand-in-hand with training.

Operation Vittles, an expanded cargo support effort against the Soviet blockade, showed the use of nonviolent airpower to defuse a potentially disastrous confrontation and laid the foundation for ___.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On 14 October 1947, who became the first person to break the sound barrier when his Bell X-1 "Glamorous Glennis" reached Mach 1.06 at 43,000 feet?

Charles "Chuck" Yeager

During the Korean War, what aircraft was created to match the MiG's speed?

The North American F-86 Sabre.

Cpl Harry LaVene, a gunner, scored the first B-29 victory over a jet when he downed a MiG-15 on 9 November 1950. Who shot down two MiGs on 12 April 1951, a fear unmatched by any other gunner?

Sgt Billie Beach.

Who tallied 15 kills during the Korean War. Gained recognition as the world's first jet ace?

Capt James Jabara

What did the Air Force rapidly begin to develop after the Korean conflict?

Long-range missiles and space-based technology

What marked the beginning of the Space Age and sparked the space race between the Soviets and the US?

The Soviets successfully launched the Sputnik 1 satellite into Earth's orbit on 4 October 1957.

During the Cold War, the Air Force concentrated on unmanned missions to fulfill national security needs. What did this include?

Providing space-based reconnaissance, early warning of any missile attack on North America; and worldwide communications platforms for strategic command and control.

In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the dictator of ___ and instituted a socialist dictatorship.

Cuba.

The CIA planned the 1961 invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in hopes that the Cuban people would overthrow Castro. Who were used as troops?

Cuban exiles. (They suffered a crushing defeat.)

In 1963, the Soviet Union and Cubans began to build what in Cuba?

Intermediate- and medium-range ballistic missile complexes

How was Soviet construction of missile complexes in Cuba confirmed?

Through Air Force reconnaissance flights. (First with high-altitude U-2 aircraft, followed by low-level RF-101s and RB-66s.)

While Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command prepared for a possible invasion of and war with Cuba, what did President Kennedy do to neutralize the Cuban Missile Crisis?

He imposes a naval blockade to prevent any more material from reaching Cuba and negotiated with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to remove the missiles.

When Cuban air defenses shot down a U-2 piloted by Maj Rudolf Anderson, what did the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend?

An immediate air strike against Cuba. (President Kennedy decided to wait.)

The US agreed not to invade Cuba in exchange for removal of Soviet missiles from the island. What did the US also secretly agree to do?

Remove US missiles from Turkey.

The Cuban missile crisis brought the world dangerously close to nuclear war, but the strategic and tactical power of the USAF (coupled with the will and ability to use it) helped deter it. T/F

True.

What operation did President Kennedy order in April 1962 to train the South Vietnamese Air Force, while secretly launching attack missions against Communist efforts in Laos and South Vietnam?

Operation Farmgate

What did President Lyndon B. Johnson do after North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the USS Maddox in August 1964 at the Gulf of Tonkin?

He lifted the shroud of secrecy and ordered Operation Barrel Roll, an orchestrated air attack against Communist forces in Laos.

What operation was a program of measured and limited air action against selected military targets in North Vietnam and, unfortunately, the US losses mounted without any visible effect from the air campaign?

Operation Rolling Thunder.

What operation did President Nixon employ after the North Vietnamese launched the Easter Offensive in Spring 1972?

Operation Linebacker. (It allowed military leaders to use appropriate strategy and tactics due to significantly reduced restrictions.)

In December 1972, North Vietnamese instransigence over the final peace agreement prompted President Nixon to initiate what operation to pressure enemy compliance?

Operation Linebacker II.

Who was one of the most honored heroes of the Vietnam War, the recipient of 28 decorations for valor in combat (more than 70 awards and decorations in all) and the winner of the 1967 Cheney Award?

CMSgt Duane Hackney

Name the B-52 tail gunner who shot down an enemy MiG, the first of only two confirmed shoot-downs by enlisted Airmen during the Vietnam War.

SSgt Samuel Turner

Who was the last US serviceman to engage Communist forces in ground combat in Southeast Asia?

CMSgt Wayne Fisk

In what year did President Nixon end the draft in favor of an all-volunteer military?

1973

Name the highly accomplished, innovative genius who founded Red Flag

Col Richard "Moody" Suter

List two post-Vietnam technological improvements and the aircraft that exemplified them.

Highly maneuverable dogfighting aircraft armed with missiles and cannon (F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon); and 2) detection avoidance (F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.)

What drove the Air Force to develop stealth technology such as special paints, materials and designs to reduce or eliminate aircraft radar, thermal and electronic signatures?

The danger posed by radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles in Vietnam.

Precision technologies changed Air Force doctrine from its focus on strategic bombing to ___ bombing with no collateral damage.

Pinpoint

Why did the Air Force and Army update the air-land battle tactical doctrine published in Field Manual 100-5?

To overcome numerically superior Warsaw Pact forces.

Which aircraft was procured to make deep air attacks on enemy armies to isolate them on the battlefield and provide close air support to Army ground forces?

The A-10 Thunderbolt II

What operation in April 1980 led to disaster at the Desert One refueling site?

Operation Rice Bowl. (Subsequent inquiries led to a reorganization and revitalization of US Special Operations Forces.)

US forces rescued American students and restored order to Grenada in October 1983, during Operation Urgent Fury. What problems were discovered during the operation?

Problems with command, control, planning and intraservice and interservice coordination.

In April 1986, President Reagan mobilized England-based F-111s to strike Libya during Operation ___

Operation Eldorado Canyon

Operation Just Cause, in 1989 tested air operations in Panama. What aircraft debuted during the operation?

The F-117 Nighthawk

Whose flexible-response nuclear war doctrine of the early 1960s lacked the technology to match its vision of adapting to meet Cold War crises?

President Kennedy's

Which doctrine was based on the theory that superpower strategic nuclear forces could be sized and protected to survive a nuclear attack and retaliate with sufficient force to destroy the enemy?

The doctrine of mutually assured destruction.

What was the Missile Defense Alarm System?

The first attempt at a space-based, long-range missile attack detection and warning system.

What treaty was signed on 26 May 1972, limiting the US and USSR to two Anti-Ballistic Missile sites each?

The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

What treaty limited the number of nuclear weapons held by the US and USSR, with the objective of freezing numerical growth and de-stabilizing characteristics of each side's strategic nuclear forces?

The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty.

Post-Vietnam, what type of technological advances significantly enhanced weather and communications support?

Satellite advances.

The formation of what command was announced on 21 June 1984

Air Force Space Command.

Which US President proposed replacing the doctrine of mutually assured destruction with one of assured survival by implementing the Strategic Defense Initiative to intercept ICBMs?

President Ronald Reagan

In March 1985, who initiated major changes in Soviet-American relations?

Soviet Communist Party General-Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev

In December 1987, what did the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty eliminate?

Medium-range nuclear missiles, including US Air Force ground-launched cruise missiles.

What event led to the reunification of Germany in October 1990?

The opening of the Berlin Wall.

What August 1991 event led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union?

The coup against Soviet Communist Party General-Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, led by Boris Yeltsin

List four ways in which US nuclear strategy changed significantly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The US 1) Signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I; 2)signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II; 3) removed heavy bombers from alert status; and 4) inactivated Strategic Air Command.

What command replaced Strategic Air Command and assumed control of all remaining Air Force and Navy strategic nuclear forces?

US Strategic Command.

On 2 August 1990, which Iraqi dictator ordered troops to invade oil-rich Kuwait, leading to international condemnation, a UN economic embargo and Operation Desert Shield?

Saddam Hussein

Which US President announced Operation Desert Shield on 6 August 1990

President George H.W. Bush

The Berlin Airlift was larger than Operation Desert Shield T/F

False. (Operation Desert Shield eclipsed the Berlin Airlift as the greatest air deployment in history.)

Which aircraft were validated as large-capacity heavy lifters during Operation Desert Shield?

The C-5A Galaxy and C-141 Starlifter.

Which war represented the first extensive, broad-based employment of space support capabilities?

The Gulf War.

On what date did three Air Force Special Operations MH053J Pave Low helicopters lead nine Army Apaches on the first strike mission of Operation Desert Storm?

17 January 1991.

The first week of Operation Desert Storm focused on achieving ___ and destroying the enemy's command and control system.

Air Supremacy.

After achieving air supremacy, the air campaign of Operation Desert Storm prepared the battlefield by isolating Iraqi ground units, interdicting supplies and reducing enemy combat power T/F

True.

Which aircraft introduced the term tank-plinking as they destroyed enemy armored forces during Operation Desert Storm?

A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" and F-15Es.

Name one aspect of Operation Desert Storm that was not successful.

The Great Scud Hunt, which targeted modified Soviet Scud missiles being launched by Iraq, did not destroy a significant number of the missiles.

The Desert Storm air campaign demonstrated airpower's impact on a conventional battlefield T/F

True.

Which war, in 1991, highlighted the impact of precision-guided munitions on modern warfare and force-enhancement capabilities of space-based communications, intelligence, navigation, missile warning and weather satellites?

The Persian Gulf War.

As stated by the Gulf War Air Power Survey, what was effective in breaking apart the organizational structure and cohesion of enemy military forces and in reaching the mind of the Iraqi soldier during the Gulf War?

The air campaign.

In 1992, the UN led relief efforts in ___, where a two-year civil war had contributed to severe famine.

Somalia.

The US initiated Operation ___ in Somalia in August 1992, but civil war and clan fighting prevented many relief supplies from reaching those who needed them.

Operation Provide Relief

In September 1992, why did Operation Impressive Lift airlift hundreds of Pakistani soldiers into Somalia under the UN banner?

Relief supplies were not reaching famine victims; the operation was an attempt to alleviate this problem and provide additional security.

On 4 December 1992, President George H. W. Bush authorized Operation Restore Hope to restore order to the country, rushing in supplies and US troops. What happened after the operation ended on 4 May 1993?

The relief effort unraveled again

On 3 October 1993, a US UH-60 helicopter was downed in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. Who earned the Air Force Cross for treating and evacuating casualties?

TSgt Timothy A. Wilkinson.

Why did Operation Restore Hope II airlift US troops and cargo into Mogadishu between 5 and 13 October 1993?

In order to stabilize the situation in Somalia after the losses sustained on 3 and 4 October.

Which US President promised to remove US troops from Somalia by March 1994?

President Clinton. (Operation Restore Hope II officially ended 25 March 1994.)

What led to unprecedented integration between air and space capabilities by the time the air war over Serbia commenced in 1999?

A revamped Air Force mission to defend the US through control and exploitation of air and space.

On 24 March 1999, President Bill Clinton commenced Operation Allied Force. What were its three objectives?

1) Demonstrate NATO's opposition to aggression; 2)deter Milosevic from escalating attacks on civilians; and 3)damage Serbia's ability to wage war against Kosovo.

In 1999, which organization attempted to pressure President Slobodan Milosevic, destroy Serbian fielded forces engaged in Kosovo and maintain popular support for intervention?

NATO.

Did NATO airpower accomplish its objectives in Serbia in 1999?

Yes, despite hampered progress.

What did assessments of Operation Allied Force conclude?

That micromanaging the targeting process limits its military effectiveness and that air and ground commanders must agree on the enemy's centers of gravity.

Which operation, immediately after 11 September 2001, focused on protecting the US homeland from internal and external air attacks of the nature used on September 11?

Operation Noble Eagle.

Operation ___ focused on forming and acting with an international coalition to remove Afghanistan's Taliban government which had sponsored Al Qaeda terrorism and provided a safe haven for it's leader, Osama bin Laden.

Operation Enduring Freedom.