Publisher's Synopsis
This study explores the contemporary relevance of the Guadalcanal campaign to current military operations. Specifically, it uses expeditionary joint air operations flown from Henderson Field during the period August 1942 to February 1943 as a case study for the employment of airpower from an austere airfield. Henderson Field provides a historical example of the expeditionary airfield as a center of gravity for joint military operations, and it demonstrates that key force enablers provide critical capabilities for the use of airpower from austere airfields. The joint air forces at Henderson Field, collectively known as the Cactus Air Force, flew defensive counterair and interdiction missions against the Japanese. The Cactus Air Force also provided close air support for US Marines fighting against the Japanese army on Guadalcanal. Air operations from this austere airfield would not have been possible without several key force enablers. Maintenance, logistics, and runway construction and repair were vital to sustaining the outnumbered Cactus Air Force. US Marine and Army ground troops-who fought multiple battles to protect Henderson Field-provided airfield security. In the dramatic course of this seesaw campaign, the tactical capabilities of the Cactus Air Force were key to the eventual victory by the Americans. The contributions of the Cactus Air Force and the American victory during the Guadalcanal campaign changed the course of World War II in the Pacific. After Guadalcanal the Japanese military never regained the strategic offensive. The lessons from Henderson Field also have direct relevance to current expeditionary air operations. Recent military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq could not have succeeded without the combat airpower employed from expeditionary air bases. The US Air Force recognizes the value of combat support as evidenced by the recent introduction of Eagle Flag exercises, which practice the art of establishing austere bases. Thus, the importance of the employment of joint airpower from austere bases around the world is magnified by the global war against terrorism. Henderson Field provides an example of successful expeditionary joint air operations that is relevant to the planners of future military operations.
