Pattern for Victory: Forging and Leading Air Power at War

General Laurence S. Kuter served as both an operational planner and commander during the Second World War. As a planner, he co-authored Air War Plans Division Plan 1 (AWPD-1); the basic strategy upon which the United States Army Air Forces waged the war. Beyond designing the plan, Kuter helped to execute it as a commander in both the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operation before returning to the Pentagon as a strategic planner. His service is unique in that he successfully transitioned between planning and commanding. The narrative examines Kuter's career through the end of the Second World War. Early discussion focuses on his role formulating United States Army Air Corps bombardment theory and writing AWPD-1. The study of Kuter's service as a commander reveals that he was instrumental in improving the command and control mechanisms required to guide the application of air power. Additionally, after viewing the operational environment from both the planner's, and commander's point of view, he realized that the different perspectives generated friction. As the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Kuter continued to maintain control of strategic plans despite the continuous modification and adjustment required for their implementation in different theaters.