![]() Hiroshima city and occupation officials, however, generally sought to present military tourism as an exercise in reconciliation and transformation. ![]() In contrast, other GIs reacted with shock and were quite sympathetic to Hiroshima’s plight. ![]() Such attitudes often dovetailed with triumphant narratives about the bomb’s power. With their hands in their pockets, haughty yet casual, violating what was already a sacred site for Hiroshima residents, the soldiers’ exercise in “A-bomb tourism” was reminiscent of colonial sightseeing, and the historically familiar exercise of Westerners’ power and privilege over conquered and colonized Asians. In a 1951 photo by Sasaki Yūichirō, a group of American GIs is shown strolling through the rubble of Hiroshima’s A-bomb Dome. Part two describes the Air Force’s adaptation to modern expectations of civilian protection, tracing operational experiences during the 1990s and the consequent operational and institutional innovation. Part one outlines the challenge that contemporary expectations about the American use of force pose for airpower. Technology, adversaries, and the goals of armed conflict will continue to evolve, but the central challenge of humanizing war will endure. The recent evolution of US airpower offers inspiring, if incomplete, evidence that the conduct of war can become more humane while remaining effective. The author expands perspectives on assessing and directing the use of airpower and encourages further work to maximize both mission accomplishment and civilian protection. This book examines how international expectations intersected with the United States Air Force’s fight for autonomy and utility, explains how the service began to change, and asks how airpower-and the US military as a whole-might further deepen its efforts.
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