The Wingman-Philosopher of MiG Alley: John Boyd and the OODA Loop

According to Boyd, when the enemy appears, this pilot - already immersed in an intense cockpit workload - must be first to observe the adversary, orient his own aircraft to the position of greatest advantage, decide to engage, and act to do so. U.S. military training regimens have evolved from what the nineteenth century Prussian thinkers called "Auflragstaktik," where the leaders of the smallest combat units, having received a general mission (Aufirag) from a commander "in a short, concise order" 7 are trained to lean forward and show initiative - to be proactive, aggressive, and fluid in execution.