Military

While there has been some consideration of the possibility of integrating Professional with Off-Duty Military Training, the two areas are still largely segregated, with the former being more focused upon the specific duties needed in the military environment. Off-Duty training tends to be more broadly focused, with the inclusion of related subjects such as political science and liberal arts.

Current Professional Military Education focuses on the skills and knowledge needed during a specific combat situation. The Cold War has largely influenced this type of education, with physical training forming a prominent part of such programs. Critics have noted that there is also a need for more targeted education relating to the situation in Iraq, in both a combat and non-combat capacity. Post-war education is said to need more preparation for soldiers who are sent abroad.

Specifically, Professional Military Education requires that soldiers be trained for situations such as responding to conventional military threats and meeting unexpected challenges such as terrorist attacks. The focus is therefore specifically on developing both physical and psychological skills that would prepare a soldier for conflict and combat situations.

Off-Duty Education, as mentioned above, includes broader, more academic subjects. Soldiers can for example be exposed to courses on political science, which is of great importance in today's environment. Arts such as languages in countries where soldiers are expected to travel can also form an important part of such a curriculum. Other relevant subjects could include electronic engineering and other technical skills.

Because of the changing social and political environment, many have held that Professional and Off-Duty Military Education should be integrated and streamlined, and that the current education system is no longer adequate to need the future needs of the Defense Force.

Sources

Carafano, James Jay & Kochems, Alane. Rethinking Professional Military Education. The Heritage Foundation, July 28, 2005. http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/em976.cfm

Klinger, Janeen. Academics and Professional Military Education. Academic Exchange Quarterly, Summer 2004. http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/mo2567l4.htm