Prevent War: A New Strategy for America

This century has been the deadliest ever -- six times deadlier than the 110,000,000 were killed in wars The cost of the Cold War alone, $13.4 trillion, left a $5.5 trillion national debt.Unless imaginative preventative measures are taken Air Force Major General (Retired) Jack Kidd sees this century repeating -- but with far deadlier weapons than the thermonuclear bomb, and warfare extended into space. In the last twelve chapters of "Prevent War" he assesses this century's wars and proposes a host of fundamental changes to prevent a repetition of our 20th Century's experience.

Kidd would be overjoyed if this book spawned a lively debate
-- Where America is headed and its leadership role in the world
-- Harnessing and eliminating weapons of mass destruction
-- Preventing wars and making the world a safer, saner place.

The ideas, motivations, and the plan to transform the United States and to achieve the peace that mankind longs for are in this book.

Jack (John B.) Kidd is a retired Air Force Major General. Beginning in 1940 he served thirty-one years in uniform, which included starting, fighting, operating, planning and ending wars.

In 1942, two years out of college, he wore Captain's bars, was a Squadron Commander of 350 men, with 12 B-17 four-engine bombers assigned. In 1943, on arrival in England, the Squadron having flown the Atlantic, he was made the Group Operations Officer of the 100th Bomb Group(Heavy), promoted to Major, then to Lt. Colonel, serving there for 16 months. Too, he led formations--to 18 targets--on one occasion leading General LeMay's entire force of 180 bombers to a target in Germany, Berlin.

After the war, he flew as an airline pilot for three years, but returned to the Air Force and was sent directly to the assignment of Chief, Flight Operations, Combined Berlin Airlift Task Force, delivering food and coal to the beleaguered Berlin population. Of his thirty-one years of service, he served in joint (Army-Navy-Air Force) organizations and activities for thirteen years, ten of them in the Pentagon on three tours.

His first four years in the Pentagon, beginning in 1952, were in the Air Staff where, initially, he developed national Pacific area contingency war plans; he sought an end to the Korean War and, also, developed the U.S. WW III War Plan during the early stages of the arms race with the Soviets. His principal function: providing the Air Force position to the Chief of Staff, in his role as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He concluded that assignment as the Chief, Joint War Plans the last year. From there, a student at the Air War College.

For three years he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the Air Force Special (Nuclear) Weapons Center, performing research, development and test functions--in short he was the go-between with the Atomic Energy Commission and Air Force contractors. He flew through clouds of atomic bomb blasts at the last nuclear tests in the Pacific. Next, he served in Hq. Pacific Air Forces in Hawaii as the Deputy Planner.

Back to the Pentagon, this time in Pacific Operations in the Joint Staff, where he was engaged in starting and operating the Vietnam War; her was responsible for regular briefings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; he also briefed Secretary McNamara and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in their "tank." He headed that office during the last year. (He discusses his views on Vietnam--and much more--in his new book Prevent War-A New Strategy for America). Next, three years at Hq. Commander in Chief, Pacific in Hawaii--where he received his first star--directing joint operations in Vietnam and throughout the Pacific Ocean area.

Again back to the Pentagon in 1966 for the third time to the surprisingly fascinating job of Director, Personnel Plans and Programs in the Air Staff, which involved testifying before several committees of Congress. There he developed the first Air Force Personnel Plan. He was the first Air Force Drug Abuse Officer. Also, he was the accountable officer for $7 billion a year, about one-third of the Air Force budget; Air Force Secretary Seamans labeled the Air Force "the largest business in the world."

In his last assignment, Chief, Military Assistance Advisory Group to Italy, he was attached to the U.S. Embassy in Rome. He retired there on January 1, 1974.

During his service he briefed or related personally with Air Force Chiefs of Staff, a Vice-President of the US, the National Security Adviser in the White House, the Director, CIA, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and participated in a conference with a future president of the United States.

In retirement, viewing the arms race with the Soviets as a lose-lose situation, he devoted a number of years to giving talks--about 75--across America and, during the height of the Cold War, three in Moscow, resulting in a book, The Strategic Cooperation Initiative or the Starlight Strategy, published in 1988. In it he proposed systematic arms reductions and the elimination of nuclear weapons, as well as cooperative endeavors.

Every member of Congress received two copies of the book, as well as the Presidential candidates. It was reported to him that President Gorbachev was given a copy of the book prior to the ending of the arms race and the dissolution of the Soviet Union; it is noteworthy that many of the initiatives in the book have been and are now being implemented, such as the START Treaties and cooperation in space.

In December, 1998 a new book, Voices From the Heart (Penguin Putnam), states on its jacket, "In Voices from the Heart today's most influential visionaries explain how we make effect meaningful changes in our personal lives and our surroundings..." I am in interesting company with Mikhail Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama, Swami Satchidananda, Desmond Tutu, Paul Hawker, Dean Ornish and many more; Kidd's piece, A Change of Heart, a microcosm of his new book.

Kidd's new book, Prevent War--A New Strategy for America.

General Kidd's decorations: two Distinguished Service Medals, Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Air Medals, two Legion of Merits, Air Force Commendation Medal, the Croix de Guerre avec Palme and other awards. A Command Pilot, he accumulated 7500 hours in the air.