Beyond Experience -- Educating Coast Guard Officers for the Demands of Professional Excellence

Abstract

This monograph examines the current state of Coast Guard Professional Military Education (PME) to identify areas for improvement to ensure that Coast Guard officers have the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to operate in an increasingly complex and dynamic post-9-11 environment. The first section of the monograph explores the history and culture of the service, including internal and external factors, to show their influence on the service's preference for the experiential model of learning and education. It also examines current policies, requirements, and institutional issues, including service, joint, and departmental competencies. The second section of the monograph analyzes information presented in the first section using Systems and Obstruction Analysis techniques described in Jamshid Gharajedaghi's book "Systems Thinking." Systems Analysis is used to indicate the structural, functional, and procedural issues in the Coast Guard's training and education system that may be preventing change towards the desired state. Obstruction Analysis is used to identify the social and behavioral impediments within and external to the Coast Guard that may be hindering change. The analyses show the complexity and interrelatedness of the issues that continue to allow competency gaps at the mid-grade levels and to prevent improvements to the officer PME system. Five solution areas are discerned from the dual analyses: knowledge, advocacy, plans and policy, resources, and culture. The monograph recommends multiple systemic changes which, if implemented simultaneously, would close existing core competency gaps in the officer corps and improve service, joint, and interagency professional competence at all levels. The proposed changes would also gradually move the Coast Guard away from an experiential-based PME system that is not meeting the professional development needs of the officer corps towards an objective-based system that would.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 19, 2011
Accession Number
ADA550356

Entities

People

  • Virginia J. Kammer

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Coast Guard
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Doctrine
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Homeland Security
  • Human Resources
  • Lessons Learned
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Education
  • Military Science
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Professional Development
  • Students
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.
  • Systems Analysis and Design