Junior Leader Development: Is the United States Army Preparing its Lieutenants for Success?
Abstract
The end of the Cold War is just one of several changes in the operational environment facing young officers entering the military at the dawn of the twenty-first century. There is no longer a single, clearly identified threat to the United States to serve as a focal point for preparation. Societal changes in values have altered the makeup of the forces which lieutenants must lead. Increased dispersion has increased the likelihood that small unit leaders will be forced to make difficult decisions in the absence of detailed guidance from senior officers. Finally, trends toward multinational operations, increased numbers of civilians on the battlefield, and near real-time media coverage, combine to create a situation where tactical decisions can have unintended strategic consequences. This monograph addresses the issue of how well the United States Army prepares lieutenants to operate in this environment. The Army's leader development doctrine emphasizes three aspects in its leader development program: institutional education and training, operational assignments, and self-development. Each of these 'pillars of leader development' are examined to determine the developmental value of each as it pertains to preparing new lieutenants for their first assignments. The outcomes of the Army's leader development program are compared to the leader attributes necessitated by the environment of future conflict described in the first part of the paper. The monograph concludes that the Army leader development program does not adequately prepare new lieutenants for success prior to arrival at their first unit. Three primary conclusions describe where the program falls short. First, there is too much emphasis placed on the self-development and operational assignment pillars rather than on institutional training.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 15, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA397470
Entities
People
- Kenneth A. Romaine Jr
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College