A Study of Curriculum Development: Wing Squadron Officer Course

Abstract

There is a perception amongst senior military leaders that professional military education is a career-long educational process best executed progressively along a continuum of education. The purpose of this research project is to determine the appropriate curriculum to best address the gap currently existing within the Air Force officer Continuum of Education between the Aerospace Basic Course (ABC) and the Squadron Officer School (SOS). The Wing Squadron Officer Course is the title of the newly developed program. Careful analysis led to numerous conclusions and ultimately a curriculum that will bridge the existing gap and enhance each Air Force officer's professional military educational experience. Among the conclusions are (1) Air Force PME instruction could benefit from aspects of its sister services' PME programs; (2) Leadership emphasis is vital to the success or failure of the Wing Squadron Officer Course; (3) The curriculum at the core of the "experimental" CGOC is on-target to meets the needs of young officers and the Air Force, but it has several deficiencies; and (4) Young officers need a "tool kit for success" to gain understanding of concepts vital to the progression of their career. These conclusions lead to the following recommendations: (1) creation of a two-pronged Wing Squadron Officer Course curriculum consisting of the currently proposed 40-hour long program to teach Core curriculum aspects: Officership, Leadership, The Role of Air Power, Air Force Perspectives, and Tool Kit For Success and a secondary curriculum program, administered on a quarterly basis educating officers on: new ways of doing business (warfighting); important topics; and issues requiring redress from the Core program; (2) designation of a mechanism to ensure support by wing commanders. Such a means is an attention-getting YES-NO support compliance statement on a wing commander's OPR.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADA407061

Entities

People

  • Kerk B. Brown

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Doctrine
  • Employment
  • Identification
  • Instructors
  • International Security
  • Military Education
  • Military Personnel
  • Organizational Structure
  • Students
  • Tool Kits
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • STEM Education

Technology Areas

  • Space