Military Education

I

Introduction

Military Education, training of the officers and enlisted (or drafted) personnel of a nation's military and naval forces. The goal of such training is to equip members of the services with the basic skills and discipline needed for appropriate action under the stress of combat. Qualified personnel may receive more formal education to enable them to advance professionally.

II

Development of Service Academies

Until the mid-18th century, military training was restricted to drill and acquiring knowledge of weaponry and tactics primarily from practical experience in battle. The technological evolution of warfare, however, led to the establishment of formal military and naval academies specifically for training professional officers. Prussia pioneered in this field with the establishment in 1810 of the Kriegsakademie (War Academy) in Berlin. Today, in Germany, the universities of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) are primarily technical and scientific in orientation.

In France, a two-track system evolved. L'École Polytechnique serves as a general technical university for army, naval, and civil service personnel, whereas L'École Spéciale Militaire, founded in 1808 by Napoleon, provides two years of initial military training. Originally located at Saint Cyr, it is now based at Coëtquidan. Advanced military training is provided by the École Supérieure de Guerre.

In 1947 Britain established its Royal Military Academy Sandhurst by merging the Royal Military College, Sandhurst—founded in 1802 at Great Marlow and transferred to Sandhurst in 1812—with the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, founded in London in 1741. The Imperial Defense College serves as the school for senior service personnel. The emphasis on military elitism in the Soviet Union was reflected by the maintenance of 21 strongly research oriented military academies on a level with civilian universities.

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In the U.S., the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs in high schools and colleges prepare students for commissions in the Army Reserve. The United States Military Academy is a 4-year engineering college whose graduates are commissioned into the Regular Army. Corresponding service institutions are the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (see Merchant Marine of the United States). Officers may pursue advanced studies at the Army Command and General Staff College (Fort Leavenworth, Kansas), the Army War College (Carlisle, Pennsylvania), the Naval War College and the College of Naval Command and Staff (Newport, Rhode Island), the Air War College and the Air Command and Staff College (Maxwell Field, Alabama), and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (Quantico, Virginia) .

In addition, the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, operated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, prepares selected officers for coordinated endeavors, and the U.S. Department of Defense maintains the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Comprising the National War College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Department of Defense Computer Institute, the university trains senior officers and selected civilians in theories and procedures relevant to national security.

III

Modern Military Education

Current trends in military education reflect rapid changes brought about by technological innovation and are geared to national security requirements. Recent curricular changes at the service academies have emphasized the humanities and the social and behavioral sciences in addition to reinforcing the curriculum in physical and applied sciences. Advanced courses taken at civilian colleges and universities play a major role in supplementing the educational experience of selected personnel (primarily officers). Integration of women into the service academies, begun in 1976, reflects the personnel needs of the armed forces and also provides added service opportunities for women.

Although academy graduates have a 5- to 6-year service obligation, depending upon the academy and year of entry, the majority complete between 20 to 30 years of service. Many, on fulfilling their mandatory obligations or on retiring from the services, embark on civilian careers in management or in professions requiring the skills acquired in the services.

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