Officer Commissioning for the Next Century. Training or Education?

Abstract

The Air Force is embarking upon a cultural change to prepare itself to meet the national security challenges of the next millennium. The August 1996 Long-Range Planning Survey identified some existing ills with the officer corps such as careerism, identification with technical specialties, lack of knowledge about doctrine and joint war-fighting, and the lack of shared values and experiences with other Air Force officers. One significant action the Air Force is taking to address these concerns is the establishment of an Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC). Current plans call for ASBC to be a seven-week PME course to educate 2 Lts to become Airmen who understand Air and Space Power in support of the Joint Force Commander. The Air Force intends to have all 2 Lts attend this course within their first year of commissioning. An ASBC-type education and training experience is imperative; however, ASBC as presently designed is inadequate for the long term. Since an ASBC-type education and training experience is so important for the future Air Force officer corps, it should not be limited to a quick-fix seven-week course. The curriculum should be expanded and made a prerequisite to commissioning; i.e., it should be a pre-commissioning as opposed to a post-commissioning course. In fact, it is time for the Air Force to change its entire approach to officer commissioning. The Air Force must closely reexamine the need for three officer commissioning sources. This examination should have two overarching objectives. First, all Air Force officer trainees should share a common military education and training experience where they obtain an airman's perspective and have an appreciation for doctrine and joint warfare. Second, and most importantly, this education and training experience must produce Air Force officers who are prepared to deal with a challenging and uncertain future, and who will make the Air Force's vision become a reality.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1998
Accession Number
ADA397243

Entities

People

  • Kenneth G. Truesdale

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Governments
  • Instructors
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Education
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Students
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.

Technology Areas

  • Space