Date

10-14-2026

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)

Chair

Keith M. Finley

Keywords

military history, aviation history, Army aviation, helicopters, Vietnam, Korea, Army, warfare, balloons, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Army helicopters, attack helicopters, utility helicopters, scout helicopters, cargo helicopters, transportation

Disciplines

Aviation | History

Abstract

Today’s United States Army operates some of the world's most advanced helicopters, conducting some of the most dangerous aerial insertions and close air support missions. Every Army infantry division has a helicopter brigade, with capabilities ranging from command-and-control to attack, scout, and lift assets. Yet, that is a relatively new concept. Developed in the 1960s, the air mobility doctrine emerged from the Eisenhower Administration’s New Look defense policy, giving the Army direction on how to use helicopters within its overall land warfare capability. This dissertation looks at how that occurred. It fills a major gap in the historiography of Army aviation and examines how and why the Army transitioned from fixed-wing to rotary-wing aircraft. Moreover, this dissertation answers the important questions of “why” the helicopter became synonymous with the Army and how the introduction of helicopters into Army aviation changed the nature of how the United States military fights its wars. This dissertation also answers how Army aviation transformed the way the United States military conducts warfare.

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