General Moseley said he sees an important role for the group in officer and civilian development. The group will be composed of 15 to 20 military and civilian members whose mix of expertise will range from eminent authorities in defense and academic circles to respected practitioners of air, space, and cyberspace power.

In that capacity, it has helped counter the tendency to 'fight the last war.' What has been constant is the use of Checkmate to give Airmen the edge they need in tomorrow's as well as today's fight by looking across the spectrum of conflict. Since its inception in the 1970s, Checkmate has been a cross-functional planning and analysis organization on the Air Staff that has taken on various roles depending on the needs of the Air Force's senior leaders. 'Just as the old Checkmate once served a 'red team' function at the operational level, the new Checkmate will provide independent, alternative analysis at the strategic level,' Gen. It will also act as a focal point for interaction with joint, interagency and research communities around Washington, D.C. The new Checkmate will act as a catalyst for strategic initiatives and directly support the chief of staff and Air Force leaders with independent, critical assessment of proposed strategic actions. WASHINGTON (AFPN) - The Air Force chief of staff announced June 4 the establishment of a new Air Force strategic studies group at the Pentagon that will carry a familiar name - Checkmate.

Checkmate meaning