One weakness of the way we view strategy … is that we neglect the environment
Professional military education (PME) plays a vital role in preparing military leaders to fight and win the nation’s wars. PME occurs at all levels of leadership, required for the most junior non-commissioned officers to the most senior flag officers and every rank in between. But what PME should teach, how it should be taught, and who should teach it is a long-standing debate, one that has featured in several other WAR ROOM releases.
One subject area embroiled in this debate is military strategy, where there are demonstrable gaps in knowledge and perspective between the military and academic communities. As U.S. Army War College professor Celestino Perez demonstrates, national decisions to employ the military are frequently (and hotly) debated. Yet military officers may not be exposed to these debates, and they may also be disconnected from the experts and expertise available concerning the operational environment. How might PME bridge these gaps and improve student preparation for greater responsibilities?
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Celestino Perez is a colonel in the U.S. Army and a faculty instructor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
Photo: Maj. Gen. John Kem, Commandant, U.S. Army War College, welcomed 157 government, business and academic leaders to the 64th annual National Security Seminar in Bliss Hall June 4, 2018.
Photo Credit: U.S. Army War College Public Affairs