Gaining a measure of respect: U.S. Army and Air Force enlisted personnel during the Cold War, 1945-1990

The enlisted personnel of the both the Army and the Air Force during the Cold War made great strides towards gaining agency for themselves, particularly in regard to responsibility, authority, and autonomy. This work seeks to examine how that agency came about. It proposes that the enlisted played a large part in this endeavor, but also acknowledges that certain senior leaders did as well. In looking at this, the roles of senior enlisted leaders will be examined, as will the rise of professional military education for enlisted, and the evolution of various ranks that seemed to acknowledge that agency. The measures that the Army and Air Force took to ensure that only the best entered their ranks are also examined.