Educating Army Officers For the 21st Century
Abstract
The challenges faced by the Army of the 21th century will be vastly different than those faced over the last two hundred years. As society continues to change ever more rapidly, new weapons and systems will be introduced into military arsenals at a greater rate. Officers of every branch will have to deal with high tech weaponry, information systems and yet unpredicted technologies. Effective leadership in the future environment will demand a wide range of skills, from technical expertise to cultural awareness. As the body of knowledge required of an officer grows, the existing educational system will initially be stressed and eventually fail to provide adequate development. This paper examines officer education from undergraduate programs through Senior Service Colleges. Undergraduate education must provide the underpinnings for a career of learning across the spectrum of disciplines. This can only be accomplished by maintaining sufficient breadth in these programs and by developing learning skills and motivation required for continued development. Post-graduate programs can afford to focus on particular areas once an office's career path is determined. Universal resident schooling at the Command and Staff College and Senior Service College levels will improve officer education levels, but will not relieve officers of the requirement to pursue continued self-development. The focus of educational institutions must change. Periods of formal education must provide foundations and serve as launching points, not destinations. The Army's continued success depends on its ability to become a learning culture.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA377193
Entities
People
- Glen P. Dudevoir
Organizations
- United States Army War College