Changing the Educational Paradigm in an Era of Persistent Conflict
Abstract
Units trained in branch core competencies contribute to the overall ability of a Brigade Combat Team to achieve its missions. However, the conflict in Iraq has caused some units to be re-missioned to tasks not related to their core competencies. These units, most notably Field Artillery units, are now experiencing an atrophy of core skills. This atrophy, combined with a high operational tempo and repetitive non-standard mission deployments, is creating a generation of Leaders and Soldiers incapable of performing fundamental branch core functions and units that cannot retrain themselves to conduct combat operations as intended. Army training doctrine identifies a requirement to develop adaptable leaders: capable of mastery in core warfighting skills but also able to apply critical and adaptable skills in counterinsurgency operations. These leaders are not developed by restricting time in educational institutions or relying on distributed learning methods: methods that are currently used to keep Leaders with units given the operational tempo. This practice yields a force that is incapable of core skill mastery or adaptive thinking. A new paradigm is needed to meet this educational and operational paradox.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA511495
Entities
People
- David S. Henderson
Organizations
- United States Army War College