School Time

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey tweeted today that he had issued a "Joint Education White Paper" that sets goals for educating the Joint Force. According to the document's introduction:

As we reflect on the conduct of Joint operations since the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, the lessons of the last decade of war, and on the future it is clear that joint education is essential to the development of our military capabilities. Today's Joint Force is a highly experienced, battle-tested body of men and women, with a decade of practical, focused warfighting knowledge.Our colleagues and schools have not had so many seasoned combat leaders in their classrooms for at least two decades. Our education efforts provide a force multiplier in our effort to develop and advance the shared values, standards and attributes that define our Profession of Arms. However, much is changing in the security environment as well as the experience of our leaders that will challenge us to deliver high-quality Joint education as never before. The explosion of information technologies that provides global and regional actors nearly instant access to information means that the United States no longer enjoys clear operational and technological advantages in the competition to "observe, orient, decide and act" more effectively than adversaries. We must learn and properly place in context the key lessons of the last decade of war and in doing so, we will prepare our leaders for what is ahead -- not just what is behind us. This is why we must review our joint education objectives and institutions to ensure that we are developing agile and adaptive leaders with the requisite values, strategic vision and critical thinking skills necessary to keep pace with the changing strategic environment. If we get this right, and get it right now, we will excel well beyond 2020.

Some recent, military-education-related stories from InsideDefense.com:

Marine Corps Urged To Better Support Increasingly Key Small-Unit Leaders
(Inside the Pentagon - 06/21/2012)

OMB Memo: FY-14 S&T Priorities Include Manufacturing, Green Tech
(Inside the Pentagon - 06/14/2012)

Draft Pentagon Report Lays Out Key Lessons From 'Decade Of War'
(Inside the Navy - 06/11/2012)