Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The changing external environment of the security sector and higher education influences the South African Military Academy (SAMA) as an institution within the broader Department of Defence, which is also associated with Stellenbosch University (SU) through the SAMA’s Faculty of Military Science (FMS). Graduates of the SAMA operate mostly within this changing security environment where their abilities and competencies are required. The research problem investigates the triggers that will initiate change and the drivers that will bring about paradigm shifts on the SAMA as an institution that delivers graduates for a changing security environment. The research question is to forecast an ideal SAMA in the year 2030. This ideal comes forth from critical analyses of current literature and qualitative data collected from experts through the Delphi technique. Sub-questions of the research question includes the programme content of the academic and military training programmes, the profile of the academic and administrative personnel, the student profile upon entering and exiting the SAMA, the organisational structure required, the infrastructure and finally the financial model. Furthermore, triggers and drivers identify actions to bring about change and critical success factors determine the requirements to achieve an ideal SAMA in 2030. The SAMA is a unique military unit that houses the only Faculty of Military Science in Southern Africa. The research report will empower decision-makers in the DOD and SU, including the unit members of the SAMA, to identify the triggers that will precipitate a coming change and properly manage the drivers pressuring change from the perspective of functionality, politics and society.

This qualitative study used a historical research method to eliminate the gap in the historical knowledge of Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) curriculum evolution in the post-Cold War era. This study is the only known analysis of the forces that influenced the ACSC curriculum and the rationale behind curricular change at ACSC in the post-Cold War era from the publication of the Skelton Report to the present. Data for this study were gathered through personal interviews with past and present members of the ACSC faculty and leadership, and review of published and unpublished historical ACSC curriculum documents. Research for this study revealed that the ACSC curriculum was continually in flux during this time period. At no time did the ACSC curriculum remain exactly the same as the previous academic year. The curriculum was responsive to external and internal influences. External influences were the Skelton Report, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Department of Defense, the Air University Commander, and world events. Internal influences include the ACSC Commandant and the ACSC faculty. The most significant and radical changes to the ACSC curriculum originated with those individuals or groups of individuals in positions of authority over military education institutions, primarily the Skelton Panel, Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force, and ACSC Commandants. Many minor changes were made to the ACSC curriculum during this time. Significant curricular changes made were not lasting changes. New leadership at times eliminated all or large parts of the curriculum they inherited because of personal preference. The ACSC curriculum is therefore subject to potential cyclical curricular change coinciding with changes in military leadership, which averages every two years. This study concludes that the ACSC curriculum changed often, sometimes significantly, in the post Cold War era. The frequent curricular change frustrated many faculty members and led to periods of turmoil within ACSC. ACSC is not likely to realize a period of curriculum stability until the Air Force places limits on the scope of curricular change its leaders are allowed to make at ACSC without approval and considers assigning professional educators to leadership roles in its Professional Military Education institutions. This study recommends that the Air Force consider placing a system of checks and balances on the ability of ACSC Commandants to reinvent the curriculum and placing professional educators in the positions of Air University Commander and ACSC Commandant in order to slow the rate of curricular change and bring a level of stability to the ACSC curriculum.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of History / Donald J. Mrozek / This dissertation examines the development of the professional military studies curriculum at the United States Air Force Academy. The study explores the rationale behind establishing an Air Force Academy, along the lines similar to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point or the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. The quest for an additional academy emphasized the need for specialized training of air force cadets and creating a common bond for its future officer corps, rather than recognizing the necessity to equip them with a professional military education regarding warfare and how air power influences war, for example. This trend continued in the two main studies used to justify the Air Force Academy, as well as the development of the initial curriculum, where an integrated academic curriculum, one that emphasized both the sciences and engineering as well as the social sciences and humanities, placed any discussion of professional military studies on the back burner. The challenge of the Academy’s general academic curriculum on the cadet’s time left little room for the development of a strong, rigorous professional military studies program. However, the confluence of a cheating scandal at West Point and the resulting report, as well as a reflection during the 25th anniversary of the Academy’s founding in 1979, which developed questions on the professional military studies program within the curriculum, led to the establishment of a Permanent Professor within the Deputy Commandant for Military Instruction, and resulted in drastic changes to the curriculum for the cadets, specifically involving professional military studies. Today, the United States Air Force Academy has a Department of Military and Strategic Studies under the overall authority of the Dean of Faculty. This department has as its charter the role to provide “the study of the context, theory, and application of military power”—with special emphasis on the role of airpower to the art and science of war. The document that helps define the duty of the department also states that this necessary study for officer candidates constitutes “the essence of a military academy education” and, most certainly, the central core of a professional military studies program.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of History / Donald J. Mrozek / This dissertation examines the development of the professional military studies curriculum at the United States Air Force Academy. The study explores the rationale behind establishing an Air Force Academy, along the lines similar to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point or the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. The quest for an additional academy emphasized the need for specialized training of air force cadets and creating a common bond for its future officer corps, rather than recognizing the necessity to equip them with a professional military education regarding warfare and how air power influences war, for example. This trend continued in the two main studies used to justify the Air Force Academy, as well as the development of the initial curriculum, where an integrated academic curriculum, one that emphasized both the sciences and engineering as well as the social sciences and humanities, placed any discussion of professional military studies on the back burner. The challenge of the Academy’s general academic curriculum on the cadet’s time left little room for the development of a strong, rigorous professional military studies program. However, the confluence of a cheating scandal at West Point and the resulting report, as well as a reflection during the 25th anniversary of the Academy’s founding in 1979, which developed questions on the professional military studies program within the curriculum, led to the establishment of a Permanent Professor within the Deputy Commandant for Military Instruction, and resulted in drastic changes to the curriculum for the cadets, specifically involving professional military studies. Today, the United States Air Force Academy has a Department of Military and Strategic Studies under the overall authority of the Dean of Faculty. This department has as its charter the role to provide “the study of the context, theory, and application of military power”—with special emphasis on the role of airpower to the art and science of war. The document that helps define the duty of the department also states that this necessary study for officer candidates constitutes “the essence of a military academy education” and, most certainly, the central core of a professional military studies program.

Professional military education is a well‐established system in most modern militaries. Like all things though, incremental and ad hoc improvements to legacy approaches typically lead to reduced quality. It is therefore, essential to periodically review the entire system for holistic effectiveness. For military education, this need is particularly important when the global security environment is experiencing such rapid change. Added to this is the emerging understanding of the ‘new sciences’ that provides a unique opportunity to improve cognitive agility when confronting complex adaptive systems. There is also an urgent need to acknowledge and enhance the intangible dimension of professional military education beyond mere content‐centric subject expertise. From the literature on hidden learning and constructivism, there are a number of opportunities available for modernizing the legacy paradigm of professional military education. This study investigated the role of holistic learning (formal, non‐formal, informal, selfdirected, and incidental learning) in the professional development of 29 mid‐career military officers. It involved detailed study of their participation on the seven‐month staff course at the New Zealand Defence College from May to December 2008. Mixed methodology data collection included observations, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and document analysis. Analytic procedures ranged from statistical comparisons through to qualitative theme constructs. The study found a number of dimensions (sources and influences) contributing to holistic learning. It also identified a number of opportunities to improve the learning experience. The findings identify a number of important factors in developing strategic artists. Of these, the greatest need is for a strategic plan to extend the current content‐centric syllabus into a full curriculum with intangible traits clearly linked to formal and informal learning activities. Specific components required in this strategic plan include an academic philosophy and a cross‐referencing matrix. The study also recommends reviewing time allocated to cross‐discipline learning of the profession and cognitive agility focused on deep learning. There is also a need to re‐examine the directing staff requirements, management of learner stress, and shaping practical‐value motivation strategies through cultural artefacts. Collectively, the findings recommend shifting from the traditional vessel‐filling paradigm of formal courses to a sociological approach of growing strategic leaders.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Master of Arts / Department of History / Michael A. Ramsay / Immediately after World War I, the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps implemented an officer education program. Called the Marine Corps Schools (MCS), the Commandant, Major General John A. Lejeune, gave the schools the mission of educating officers throughout their career. MCS struggled during its first decade of existence due to operational tempo and a poor curriculum. The direction of MCS changed greatly with the assignment of James Carson Breckinridge as the commanding officer in 1928. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role Breckinridge, an unconventional and intellectual officer, played in reviving the MCS and turning it into the authority on Small Wars and Amphibious Operations. It will show that Breckinridge, drawing on observations made of college education systems, focused the Marine Corps Schools on the task of teaching officers to analyze problems and find solutions and not rely on memorized book answers.

Jaunuoliai, kurie ateina į profesinę karo tarnybą, kasmet yra fiziškai silpnesni. Karių fizinio rengimo programa skirta pagerinti jų fizinį parengtumą, kuris reikalingas jų profesinei veiklai. Todėl fizinis rengimas - viena iš pagrindinių kovinio rengimo kariuomenėje dalių. Pagrindinis fizinio rengimo uždavinys - visapusiškai fiziškai lavinti karį (Greičius ir kt., 1998). Pagrindinis fizinio rengimo tikslas bazinio kario kurso (toliau – BKK) metu yra fizinio pasirengimo lygio, būtino tolesnei kario tarnybai, pasiekimas. Tai reiškia, kad karys, baigęs BKK, turi atitikti jo būsimoms pareigoms ir karinei specialybei keliamus fizinio pasirengimo reikalavimus bei įvykdyti karių fizinio pasirengimo normatyvus. Nustatyta, kad žmogaus organizmas naudojant tam tikras specialių adaptacinių sistemų funkcijas (mechanizmus) prie padidėjusio fizinio ir psichologinio krūvio visiškai adaptuojasi tik per 6 – 10 savaičių. PKT kariams BKK trunka 13 savaičių, o pirmo kurso kariūnams - 9 savaites, todėl karys prie karo tarnybos sąlygų visiškai adaptuotis gali tik baigiantis šiam kursui. Šio darbo tikslas - ištirti profesinės karo tarnybos karių ir pirmo kurso kariūnų fizinio rengimo programą, pritaikytą rengti karius bazinio kario kurso metu. Buvo ištirtas 120 profesinės karo tarnybos karių ir 80 pirmo kurso kariūnų fizinis išsivystymas, funkcinis pajėgumas ir fizinis parengtumas. PKT karių tyrimai vyko bazinio kario kurso pradžioje, bazinio kario kurso penktą savaitę ir kurso... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Youngsters coming to the professional military service every year are weaker physically. The program for soldiers’ physical training is intended to improve their physical qualification which is necessary for their career. That is why physical training is one of the most important parts in the combat training in the army. The main aim of the physical training is to educate the soldier comprehensively physically. (Greičius ir kt., 1998). The main aim of the physical training during the Basic Combat Training (BCT) is the development of the level of physical readiness which is necessary for the further soldiering. That means that the soldier who is finished this course has to be able to meet requirements which are necessary for his future position and military service and he has to be able to fulfil all requirements of soldier physical readiness. It is stated that adaptation of the human body to the enlarged physical and mental strain with the help of the certain special functions of the adaptation systems is fully formed only in 6 to 10 weeks. The Basic Combat Training lasts 13 weeks, for the soldiers of the first course it lasts just 9 weeks, so the soldier can specialize to the conditions of military service only at the end of this course. The aim of this work is to research the program of the soldiers of the professional military service and the first course soldiers, which is adapted for the Basic Combat Training. It was researched physical development, functional fitness... [to full text]

No description available.

Försvarsmakten som organisation är inne i en spännande fas där den är i full fart med att ställas om till ett yrkesförsvar, med anställda soldater. I en nyutkommen studie från Försvarshögskolan observeras en problematik i samspelet mellan officerare och soldater i den nya organisationen. Ett begrepp som används flitigt inom den militära professionen är tillit, vilket blir utgångspunkten i arbetet för att analysera problematiken från studien. Syftet med arbetet är att kartlägga om det finns förutsättningar för att skapa tillit från soldaten till officeren i dagens svenska yrkesförsvar. I arbetet sammanfattas fyra situationer i studien för att skapa en övergripande bild av problematiken. Vidare analyseras studien utifrån de faktorer som skapar tillit enligt teorier från den svenska och den kanadensiska försvarshögskolorna. Analysen struktureras upp utifrån de faktorer som skapar tillit ur den svenska teorin, faktorerna från den kanadensiska teorin förstärker och för analysarbetet vidare. Ur det tillitsperspektiv som används i arbetet visar resultatet på att skapandet av tillit hämmas inom alla faktorer enligt den svenska teorin. De förutsättningar som hämmar är: en oklar syn på hur officeren skall behandla soldaters erfarenhet, plutonchefens allt mer administrativa tjänst samt personalomsättningar. En slutsats är om dessa förutsättningar ändras, ges bättre möjligheter att skapa tillit. / The Swedish Armed Forces as an organization are undergoing an exciting phase where the conversion to a professional military, with employed soldiers, is in full swing. In a recent study the Swedish National Defence College observed a problem in the interaction between officers and soldiers in the new organization. A term that is widely used in the military profession is trust, which forms the starting point in this paper to analyze the problem from the study. The purpose of this paper is to identify whether there are preconditions for building trust from the soldier to the officer in today’s Swedish professional military. In the paper the aforementioned study is summarized into four situations to provide a comprehensive overview of the problem. The study is analyzed out of the factors that create trust according to the theories from the Swedish and Canadian defence colleges. The analysis is structured by the factors from Swedish theory, while the factors from Canadian theory reinforce and develop the analysis further. From the trust perspective used in this paper, the result shows that the creation of trust is impeded in all factors of the Swedish theory. The conditions that inhibit trust are: an imperfect view of how the officer deals with soldier’s experience, the platoon commander’s increased administrative services and personnel turnovers. One conclusion is that if these preconditions are changed, there will be better opportunities to build trust.