Developing the Army Pentathlete
Abstract
The Army needs to develop a new breed of officer, the "pentathlete", who is a leader, combat soldier, statesman and sociologist. How will they do it, and where will they find the personnel to fill the job?. The Army is forced to deal with insurgency in Iraq, a type of engagement they have not dedicated training to since the end of Vietnam. The security situation in Iraq precludes civilian experts from helping rebuild Iraq. Yet, the Army is not trained to provide basic needs for the conquered Iraqi population while trying to secure the peace. To meet this challenge, the Army will grow pentathlete soldiers to win America's wars and secure the peace. This paper looks at the Army's need to better execute Phase Four Stabilization Operations, and presents examples of the roles pentathletes could fill. It will then focus on developing the company grade officer. The paper will examine commissioning sources, and suggest simple prerequisites to place on new officer candidates to prepare them as pentathlete candidates. Next, the paper will offer a course of action to train the budding pentathlete, and finally, present examples of where the program can be instituted and how it can benefit the Army.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 30, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA468972
Entities
People
- Kevin Mcelroy
Organizations
- United States Army War College