Core and Gap: Assumed

CAF STRATEGIC PLAN: Securing the High Ground: Dominant Combat Air Force for America, USAF, 2008

An Air Force reader sends this in noting that Tom makes an appearance almost verbatim right up front. Sure enough (p3 as printed, p9 of the pdf):

The lack of stability, security and integration of former Third World, or non-integrating “gap” nations and regions into the larger functioning “core” of peaceful, progressive states

I like how Core and Gap are thrown in almost off-handedly, like everyone knows about them.

Comments

[David Emery]

I like how Core and Gap are thrown in almost off-handedly, like everyone knows about them.

Well, what do you expect when Tom is speaking at staff colleges? :-)

[Anonymous]

well, since they ignore Tom's analysis pretty much every where else in the document (near-peer!), this part stands out ;-)

[Cadet Echo Boomer]

We saw "The Map" sophomore year in Army ROTC. It was so assumed that it framed the entire curriculum regarding future military operations. Core, Gap, SysAdmin, and even DoEE, are all regularly thrown about here in the Cadet lounge.

Of course, I didn't really appreciate the substance of PNM until I saw the C-SPAN version of the The Brief in an upper division political science class later that year. Congratulations Dr. Barnett, you are far more engaging than an US Army Reserve Lt Colonel!