Teaching Strategy: Challenge and Response

摘要

The general topic of this book became part of a very public debate in the United States in 2009, and it continues today. That debate concerns how one should teach strategy in our system of professional military education (PME). The genesis of the debate was alleged shortcomings in strategy in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or what some critics have called failures in strategy and strategic leadership. The allegations subsequently led some members of Congress to turn their attention specifically to the PME system since that is where our military leaders supposedly learn their skills in formulating and implementing strategy. And so the question: Is there something wrong with the PME system. A virtual parade of experts has testified on various aspects of this question before special hearings conducted by the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.1 In some circles, a presumption existed that the PME system had failed this country by failing to educate senior leaders on how to produce sound and effective strategy. According to this line of reasoning, those senior military leaders were at least partly responsible for the strategic shortcomings or failures.