Army Junior Officer Education: An Assessment of Institutional Learning
Abstract
As the Army continues its transformation into a more lethal and responsive force, in the midst of the War on Terror, it becomes increasingly important to make qualitative and critical assessments of our progress. One of the most important aspects of that transformation is how we educate the leaders of tomorrow. Are we providing the quality institutional education that will allow these new officers to meet the challenges of modern warfighting in the contemporary operating environment? The developmental education systems of the United States Military Academy and the Reserve Officers' Training Corps are designed to provide the foundational knowledge, skills and attributes to ensure success in combat and continued, lifelong learning. In this regard, both systems are marked with much improvement over the past several years. In fact, today's graduates are more capable and informed than any of their predecessors. Despite the improvements, daunting challenges remain for both systems, though they differ in nature and solution. The physical transformation of our Army is continuous and so too must be the mental transformation. Without improved focus on leadership, adaptability and the skills of the Pentathlete leader, our young officers face the prospect of fighting wars for which they are physically, but not yet mentally, prepared.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA475974
Entities
People
- Christopher S. Landers
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School