Rebalancing the Military Profession

Abstract

This paper contends bureaucratic functions have dominated the profession of the U.S. Military as far back as the Vietnam War. A rebalancing is long over-due. This thesis is supported through a review of literature on the military profession and a survey of past U.S. Army studies regarding the profession. This paper also examines the 21st Century security environment and demonstrates the current context is exacerbating the imbalance. This paper concludes by proposing reforms to rebalance the U.S. Military by restoring its professional ethos. The most significant reforms proposed are taking steps to implement a career-long, individual self-development program throughout the officer corps and the establishment of a professional military society modeled after the Prussian Milit rische Gesellschaft of the early 19th Century.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 17, 2011
Accession Number
ADA553005

Entities

People

  • Robert J. Cook

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Military Education
  • Military History
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Professional Development
  • Security
  • Students
  • United States
  • Vietnam War
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Strategic Security Studies