Officer Education and Training in the Age of Social Challenges

Prof. Jūratė Novagrockienė

Contents

• Components of military capacities• Postmodern officer • Dynamics of challenges in the global

perspective• New or/and old requirements of officer

education?

Kariniai gebėjimai

Moralinis komponentasKonceptualusis komponentas +

=Fizinis komponentas+

Weaponry, equipment,infrastructure

Etc.

Military capacities

Moral ComponentConceptual component +

=Physic component

+

• Army discipline,

• training, believies,

• endurance,

• Support of society,

• determination

• etc

Concepts, TacticsDoctrine,

Strategy etc

HUMAN FACTOR

Armed forces variables

Early Modern (1900-1945)

Late Modern(1945-1990)

Postmodern (since1990)

Perceived threat Enemy invasion

Nuclear war Subnational (e.g., ethnic violence, terrorism)

Force structure Mass army Large professional army

Small professional army

Major mission definition

Defence of homeland

Support of alliance

New missions (peackeeping, humanitarian)

Dominant militaryprofessional

Combat leader Manager or technition

Soldier statesman,Soldier scholar

University degree

Military diploma

Leadership

Millitary education and training: operational and strategic level

Service in the Multinational AF

The postmodern officer (versatile, intellectual)

EducatIon

TraInIng

MORAL COMPONENT – the postmodern soldier

Challenges

Dynamic global security

environment

New threats Controversial political will

Financial crisis

Officer education and training

High technologies

Physic reality vs virtual reality

Assymetric war

PeacekeepingFighting non military security threats (terrorism, ecological, industrial disasters)

Challenges in conflict zone

International enviroment, international law, humanitarian law, for instance,Key Provisions of SCR 1325

Chanching character of war and conflicts: partisan, civilian war; drug wars, soldiers against civilians

Military service in different cultural context and in multicultural armed forces, women integration

Impact of thechnology: high technology vs traditional weaponry;Civilian technicians assist the Army in many fields

Challenges of the military organization

• Revision of military values: integration is based on equal citizens rights to take part in the military affairs

• Opinion that women in the army leads to decline of the military ethos (Mitchel 1998), it is loosing discipline, quality as a mean of violence in critical situations

• Due women the military became similar to the rest organizations in society

Impact of economic downturn

• Budgetary restraints resulted in shortages of supply (uniforms, equipment, night binoculars, tight ordnance in training fields) and affects the AF cohesion and morale

• Cancellation of conscription is controversial issue in the AF od different countries, it affects motivation and performance of soldiers especially among officers

• Problems with recruitment to rankers as well as thoughtless planning of personnel restraints training process (young officers need to have to command squad or platoon of rankers)

Conclusion• The most dramatic change within the armed forces

relates to the change of their mission -transition from the state defense function to the participation in combined international operations and the collective security system with NATO

• Hybrid war and relations with civil population in conflict zones increased needs for an internal-educational program accenting the broader purpose and nonmonetary values of military service

Conclusion• Is it the solution - a “plural military” which would

heighten the distinction within the armed service between the more civilianized support components and the more military operational units?

• If civilian component inside the military can satisfy technical needs of AF the officers education has to more universal

• Economic downturn and force downsizing due the financial crises should not degrade the quality of officer education and training

• a “plural military” which would heighten the distinction within the armed service between the more civilianized support components and the more military operational units;

• (2) trading off future pay raises for maintenance of noncash benefits;

• (3) shifting the role of the senior noncommissioned officer away from emphasis on unit administration and toward more concern with the guidance of lower-ranking enlisted personnel;

• (4) an internal-educational program accenting the broader purpose and nonmonetary values of military service;

• (5) a recruitment policy allowing short tied to post-service educational benefits, and geared toward combat arms and relatively nontechnical assignments;

Thank you for your attention