An Air Force Association Special Report written by Rebecca Grant, this publication carefully outlines America's response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, both within the homeland and overseas.

With a brief overview of the United States' diminutive homeland security posture before the attacks, the book details the first twelve hours of the US Air Force's response to the terrorist attacks - the attempts to immediately scramble fighters to interdict the hijacked aircraft and the ensuing chaos of clearing and safeguarding American skies. It also follows the formulation of US national security policy with respect to the attacks and the development of a strategy to target al Qaeda, the terrorist organization behind the attacks.

The book then concentrates on the subsequent US military operations in Afghanistan, beginning October 2001, to rout out al Qaeda and their political patrons, the Taliban. From initial coalition success in establishing air superiority to criticism in the American press and ultimately to the 'Anaconda Surprise,' the book details the conflict with particular focus on the air campaign. Also noted are the difficulties the US faced in targeting an enemy as nebulous as al Qaeda, requiring careful but effective cooperation with the Northern Alliance as well as the use of new technologies in unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites to locate targets.

For the foreseeable future, the United States will continue to have a presence in Afghanistan as that country attempts to rebuild itself after decades of violence and neglect. Moreover, Osama bin Laden and other leadership of al Qaeda are still at large. The lessons of the Afghan Air War are therefore important not merely from a historical perspective but as lessons learned for the future.

The full text of this report is available online at the Air Force Association website.