Alan J. Vick

Biography

Alan Vick is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He has authored RAND reports on ground threats to air bases, enhancing air power's capability against light infantry opponents, air power in urban operations, air operations against elusive targets, alternatives for deploying the Army Stryker Brigade, new concepts for joint air–ground operations, air power's role in countering insurgencies, and air–naval concepts for maritime interdiction. His report, Snakes in the Eagle's Nest: A History of Ground Attacks on Air Bases, has been used for more than a decade as a textbook by U.S. Air Force (USAF) Security Forces. His most recent report, Managing Risk in USAF Force Planning, was published in 2009.

Vick served as associate director of RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) (2002–2004); acting director of PAF's Strategy and Doctrine Program (2003–2004); associate director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program (1998–2001); PAF liaison to the Air Staff (1989–1994); and assistant to the vice president of the Arroyo Center, RAND's Army research division (1985–1986). He was an infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1973 to 1976.

Vick received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Irvine.