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SOLUTION NO. 85
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THE COMMAND AND GENERAL

STAFF SCHOOL

IN CASE OP REPLY TO BE RETURNED TO RECEPTACLE BY 9:00 A.M.

865— G. S. Schs., Fort Leavenworth— 9-18-28— 26M

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WHIT SHOULD BE 'THE PLAN OF -EDUCATION Kft OFFICEBS OP THS ABH*,

including a diactission of individual study, the special. "service

schools, the Command and General Staff School, and* the Array War
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(jjx present system of ra^litainr education is a development of

pre-war ideas oA education, training, and qualifications for promotion,

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with developments due to experiences of the World War, That these expe­

riences had a very definite effect on our system is evident from the

1following extract from the Beport of* the Secretary- of £ar, dated Kovember
it
1 ,1 11, 1919, "The war demonstrated that there was a necessity for & more

j thorough and extensive education of officer? in all grades and in all

j classes of military duty; that there was not unfformity of doctrine or

in the separate arms, or in the Array as a whole; that our prewar

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system did not secure progression of instruction in accordance with the

Iadvancement in rank of the officer; and that there was not continuity of

Iinstruction throughout the entire system from the bottom to the top.*1

It is evident that a definite plan of education "based on our

|latest experiences in war and on an intelligent estimate of the future

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|medsi needs of the Army of the United States
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is a necessary part (of orx plans.

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: is noi a separate question, or one .vhich can "be decided without refpr­

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ence to 6ther important features connected with personnelf.
l\ So&ie- of ihese inter-related questions are: (1) Qualifications of appli­
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cants for appointment, (2) Manner- in which promotions will]"be made, and
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[b] Elirainaticn of the unfit. Other questions may need to "be considered
t

s but it is "believed that these three have such an intimate relationship to!

the educational system within the army that failure to consider them will
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s Ilead to failure somewhere in the system of military education.
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QUALIFICATIONS OP APPLICANTS POE APPQIOTMEHT. Essentially, any]
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Kan for the education of a group must

dividuals composing the group.

up, there must "be established

.he education of the

In order that a comprehensive

minimum requirements
'
plan may

vld ch each
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2
Edrav/n
i! and
ividual must meet before enrollment

viev/points:

(E) that of the individual concerned.

commission).
(l) that of the i¥elfare and progress
This is necessary

of the Service,

The Service is interested, not!

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the most brilliant or the most stupid of the applicants, but

King ting an average on which to base the plan of subsequent

Lvidual is interested, not merely in the rank established by hie

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education, j
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showing In passing the requirements, but in,possessing at least tife

minimum' requirements in order thnt he may be able to meet service re

quirements which will "be encountered later.

A. IK WHICH PECMOTTUT; ARE MAP :. IMs should be aoßSidexsd

because of Its "bearing on the individual and on the entire group. If all

officer personnel possessed the sane ability to absorb knowledge and the

same ambitions i*r the pursuit of bo .edge "b^ personal research, there

be little need fer cons id ration 01 educational systems or the

.blishmants of requirements for promotion. However, since thic Is not

the case, it is Mghly essential for the best interests of the nation

that serious consideration be given to these matters. If promotion be

continued as at present, then the system of military education must be so

planned as to $TQYi&% fach officer with the necessary instruction for the

proper performance of ris duties ia.the grade to which promoted at a 'tine

when he urast enter or those duties. If the promotion sys.^m be changed

at to require a profess! d&edt examination, the system of rsii.l °&y educa­
tion should provide the fundamentals on which examinations ar** based
•-.r<

£LXKI&ti!IOff OF THE ySBVi. fhls stfo^ect is not so closely rela

ted to military education as are the qualifications for appointment and

promotion, yet it has some relation and is worthy of a little considera­

tion. Y/hile the system of education should not be subordinated to the

individual, nevertheless it is believed that attempts should be made to

instruction and training so as to reduce to a minimum the elini­

S b*cause of professional unfitness.

standpoint of economy since the Government

This should be done chiefly

sffactive service from each individual. Provisions should be

made, and included in the plan of education, for the elimination of indi­

viduals who do not neasrre up to specified standards.

is entitled to a re­

$hese provisions

should aim at the detection of individual faults beginning with the most
elenentaTy of schools.

\l3any individuals look upon military schools and military train­

ing as mere stepping-stones to promotion, or for acquiring the loiowledge

one should have to be qualified for promotion. The objective for a sys­

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tea of military education should include this as a desirable feature, "but

it must not he allowed to "become the paramount objective. For the para

;| mount, O}% oriraary objective, we must look to a higher ideal, and it is

{"believed that such an ideal is very clearly expressed in Paragraph Z (5), s

Begulations 350-5, August 1, 1925. -It reads as follows: "OBJECTIVES.!

!The fundamental objective of the military eduoational system is the prepa-j

ration of every individual and organization in the Military Establishme:

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j for efficient service to the Kation .in peace and in war11 . 3Ms expresses

•what* is' desired from the standpoint of service to the nation, and is the

objective which all service personnel should have uppermost in their

minds. It is sufficiently ample in scope to include all components of
the Army of the United States. It is general in character, and plans

subordinate thereto can be prepared to include the complete education and !

training required for efficient service to the nation under all circum­

stances. !£his is of importance since many of our major duties in the

Report of the Secretary of War, previously mentioned, inc­

PThe udes the following, which indicates very clearly some of the things (in

| general terms) which should be included in our system of military 6dttea­

iticn. "The v;as has also demonstrated the necessity for a broader scope

|of instruction of officers in all grades. New weapons and new method* of

Iwarfare have made necessary greater knowledge of combat principles and

tactics, of supply and of means of communication, on the parts of all

! officers from the commanders of platoons to the commanders of hir:

tactical organizations such as divisions, army corps, and armies, and it

has been made specially apparent that General Staff officers for duty

with the War Department and for larger expeditionary forces should have

\u25a0i broader knowledge not only of their purely military duties, but also a

[full comprehension of all agencies, governmental as well as industrial,

!necessarily involved in a nation at war, to the end that coordinated
|effort may be secured from all these agencies, and that they may he

ployed economically and efficiently both in the preparation for and

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Before considering the schools to be established and what their

courses of instruction should include, it will "be well to consider the

iiiore I^cMitwit tasks which the Army must accomplish, and how the system­
of military education should provide trailed personnel with which to ac­

eo!D lish the*»e tasks. The most important function of the Artier i« the
proper formulation and development of measures for the defense of the

ation. Subordinate in importance is the proper formulation and develop

ment of branch tactics and technique, with co-ordination between the

several branches in such manner that the Array will be prepared for any

ecier^ency which may arise. A sec^r.d function subordinate thereto is the

provision of proper training of the civilian components of the Army of th^

United States. If these tasks be accomplished, other missions of the Armsi
will be performed as an incident tnereto. The formulation and development

of defensive measures requires officers highly trained in all phases of

the military art. O&e development of tactics and technique of the vari­

ous branches depends on the education end training of the officers of that

branch. Proper instruction of the civilian components cannot be accom­

plished without properly educated and trained officers for detail as

instructors for those components. In order to accomplish these tasks,

some form of military education should be prescribed in order to provide

the necessary personnel in the numbers and at the times required.

Based on the foregoing, it can be stated in general that the

system of military education should provide instruction for the individu­
al, based on his personal needs, from the most elementary of military sub­
jects to and including the most advanced which the individual is capable
of assimilating. It should also include training of the individual and

each organization as to branch tactics and technique to secure adequate

knowledge of the functions and operations of each branch. It should in-

elude joint training of the several branches so as to provide efficient

co-operation when and where needed under **11 conditions of service. It
should include instruction to ensure the proper understanding and opera­
tion of supply and communication, and of the relation of government and

business to the war needs of the nation.

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desirable, if possible, for every officer of the

titwould be
army to receive detailed instruction pertaining to all "branches and

phases of the military art. To accomplish this, however, would require

constant and continuous attendance at schools of the various branches.

Before the World War, many people considered that it was possible 'for the

majority of officers to master the tactics and technique of several anna

in sufficient detail to permit efficient functioning in any of those arras^

Today, this opinion is not longer held by the majority. While it might

be possible for some officers to secure theoretical knowledge of practi­

cally all the branches in considerable detail, knowledge so secured would

have little value since there would no time available for these individu­

als to perfect themselves by practical application of theories in active

training of troops. Developments have been so rapid and varied that
specialists are necessary for an ever-increasing number of functions.
Modern warfare has little use of the »jack-of -all-trades'. It would ap­
pear that the day when the majority of officers can expect to know more
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than the general functioning of the other arms with relatiob to his own
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branch has gone. To the supported arms, tfye technique of the supporting

arms matters little so long as the support is forthcoming when and where
needed. In this case, the mutual need is an understanding of the general

nature of the problem of the other, the capabilities of each, and proper
liaison and communication to facilitate the combined action.

Since it can be seen that (1) branch specialists are desirable

for an army to have, and (2) that these branch specialists need, at

least, a general knowledge of the capabilities of the arms with which

they willbe used to form a fighting machine, and (5) that these separate

branches must be co-ordinated as to functions and missions, It would

appear that the present divisions of our military education system is

sound. The present division into Special Service Schools, The Command

and General Staff School, and the Army War College offers all the facili­

ties necessary for the complete education of an officer, with the added
requirement of individual study and research. Attendance at all of these
schools should be so arranged as to expedite the instruction of the
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officer as concern* the tactics and technique of his own branch. It

should he possible for every officer to look forward to the time when he
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can be sure of attendance at the higher school! , and with those officers
commissioned after 1920, it'is believed that this hope can be realized.
Age limits willprevent the attendance of many officers commissioned
during and before 1920. The system prescribed by Army Regulations 350*5
does provide for progressive instruction upon broad lines. It provides

for the development

\u25a0SBBSSf^B
of branch tactics and technique* And most important

of all, it provides for the education and training of officers for duty

as commanders and staff officers of the larger units, which was ose of

* our weak points during the World War,

Present conditions existing among commissioned personnel, the

majority of whom have had war experience in varying degrees, make it

difficult to recommend certain, definite times when an officer should

attend the various schools. Their experience qualifies some officers

for training in General Staff &nd Higher Command duties as against higher

ranking officers without corresponding experience. So, at present, it

«y
would seem that assignment to the more advanced schools based on rank is
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an erroneous way of selecting the personnel for attendance at such

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schools. To make the problem a little simpler, to get away from the ab­
normal conditions of the present, and to attempt a solution for the

future, Ishall consider the system of military education as it should

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be worked out for those officers commissioned since 1920,

|C, SPECIAL SERVICE SCHOOLS. The mission assigned to these schools!

as given in Army Regulations 350-5, August 1, 1925, is: "**to teach in
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detail the technique and tactics of the branch concerned and to give a
working familiarity with *;he technique and tactics of associated arras

with the following objects in view: (a) to provide competent leaders for |
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5K iV all units of the branch; (b) To qualify instructors \u2666•; (o) To develop
and perfect branch technique and tactics". These schools should operate
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directly under the chief of the branch concerned. They should jl ft

close relations with the branch "Board" which it employed in testing new

arms, devices, and methods of training; direct representation on the

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Board, or liaison through the office of the chief of branch would effect

these cloae relation!. With proper directives and supervision from the

office of the chief of branch, the constant work of instructor* and stu­

dents of the school, the co-operation of the branch "Board", and the ex­

periences
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of units of the branch in training, the task of developing and

perfecting branch tactics and technique would be taken care of, !Ehe re­

mainder of the mission should be accomplished by dividing the school into

three separate courses which would be progressive in nature, each course

with subsequent experience forming the basis of the later courses, l'hese

courses should be: (1) Basic, (Z) Company officers, and (3) Advanced.
As an Integral part of the Special Service Schools, there

should bo established a Basic School for the branch. It should be a com- i

blnation of theoretical study and practical work with troops, carried on

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simultaneously. In other words, it should be similar to the so-called
"Incubator Schools" which were employed before the war for the instruction,
of all new personnel of the Coast Artillery Corps, This course would en­

sure uniform training and supervision of the new officers, and should eora-j

prise only those subjects which are necessary to permit junior officers to

function intelligently on being assigned to duty with troops. The course |

should not exceed one year, and should be so arranged that personnel
possessing the required basic education could be passed through the school

in less time, thereby preventing useless repetition in instruction. All

personnel of the branch should be assigned to this school immediately
after being commissioned and before assignment to any duty with troops.

Commanders of troops should not be burdened with officers for whom basic

branch training is necessary; he should have worries enough of his own

without this additional work. The completion of the course should be

followed by a minimum of two years of actual duty with troops of the
branch concerned, when they would become available for duty as students
in the compnay officer's course.

Officers should be detailed to the company office's course

not later than the sixth year of service. The name of the course is

considered sufficient to describe the nature of the studies therein with—

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out undue elaboration. The course should cover all the technical and

tuctlcal subjects which a company commander should know in order to tr^in

a unit of his branch and l<sad it into battle, It should include the be­

ginnings of the officer's instruction in the technique and tactics of the !

associated arms, but should not attempt this instruction beyond the batta-»

lion or squadron.

The final course at the Special Service Schools should be that

for advanced instruction in the tactics and technique of the branch. It
should prepare the officer for tv« duties of the field grades in his own
branchy or for the more efficient performance of those duties* It should

Ye initiated with v brief refresher course to bring all students up to

in the tactics and technique of the smaller units; this course being

Pte
de necessary oec&use of the many varied duties which carry an officer

contact with the progress within his branch.

fv;ay from close Students of

this course should be of assistance in developing nsw phases of branch

doctrine or in perfecting the existing doctrine. The course should in­
clude instruction in the tactics and technique of the associated anon to
include the brigade, not from the viewpoint of help in future courses at
The General Service Schools, but in anticipation wf fixture service with
the combined arms. This instruction if a necessary adjunct to the offi­

cer's education and training in the use of his own branch of the service.

In principle, courses at the Special Service Schools should be

so arranged that no officer is detailed for school on two successive

years. Obviously, certain of the special courses intended for the devel­

opment of specialist for the branch should be excepted from this rule.
Similarly, every course should be followed by duty with troops of the

branch in order that theories taught in the school may be of use in the
training of the branch organizations, and the lessons learned bo broad­

ened by their practical application in so f&r as condition! in the ser­

vice permit.
In order that there may be assurance that instruction in the
schools may be progressive and at times when it willbe of most use to
the individual and to the service, there should be laid dov/n general

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principle regarding the period* during which officer* should attend the

various course*. Due to the exigencies of the service, these periods

must be oade quit© extensive. The following are suggested as within the

bound* of possibility, and as being adapted to the progress of the offi­

cer f
f education and training in the military art.
(a) Allnewly appointed officer* to attend the basic course before being
a**igned to duty with troop*

(b) Ho officer te be placed in command of a battery or company until he

ha* received the instruction of the company officer's course.

(c) tv&ry officer to be detailed to the advanced course before his pro

motion to field grade, ifpossible

(d) All officer* to attend the courses of the Special Service Schools be­
fore detail for attendance at any of the General Service Schools #

The following might be prescribed as the periods of service

during which officers should be detailed for the various courses:
~ - ~ - - ~
* course -
Basic course -During the first year of service

Company officer f Fourth to seventh both inclusive*

Advanced course
- years*

fenth to fifteenth years, both inclusive.

In arriving at definite period* similar to those shown above, it willbe
necessary to oontt&ev the promotion question and coordinate the period*

with the prospect* of promotion from time to time.

In addition to the courses as above, each of the Special Ser­

vice Schools should provide short courses for officers of the civilian
component* of the Army, The length of these cour*e* and 'the number to be
detailed for instruction depend almost entirely upon the" appropriations
made by Congress for the Tparpote, and upon the trades or occupation* of
the personnel to be included in the courses. Instruction in the company
and field officer grade* should be provided in these course*. Th& Spec­

ial Service School* should also conduct the prescribed correspondence

course* for branch instructional purpose*. Special course* for the in-

for the branch should be provided, where these specialists are different
than those required by other branches. Instruction of specialist* common
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to two or aore branches should be provided t>y tJwr War Department in spec­
ial courses at a designated branch school, or by course* in a suitable

civilian injtituiion.

It if mjf opinion that the Special Servfs* Schoolf are the most

important of all the schools in the military system of education? first,

bftrrnflft without of^ir*er wAnAflv tt»ain«d in itftfth of the a<3Ver&.l branch* «

there can be no efficient branch or combined action, and second, because

higher education and training is im ssible without a proper basis Swt
such instruction, which basis is provided by these schools.

THE GENERAL SERVICE SCHOOLS, These schools are provided to

complete the theoretical instruction of the officer* Before beginning on

the courses at these schools, it is essential that each officer have a
detailed knowledge of his own branch, and a workable knowledge of the
tactics and technique of the associated arms to include the brigade* I
shall consider only the COS&JSD AND GS3CTAL STAFF SCHOOL and the ABET

WAS COLLEGE.

THE COSECAIO) AKD GEHEBAL STAFF SCHOOL, The mission aligned to

this school is shown in Paragraph 3 c (X) (a), Army Begulatlon* 350-5.

In part It reads as follows; "The mission of this school 1* to prepare
officers for command and general staff duty ***", The mission is limited
to the combined use of all 9xm» to include the army corps, the proper

functions of commanders and general staff officers for those units, and
the technique of general staff procedure. The mission aesigned is an
attempt to correct' some of the deficiencies noted in the Beport of the

Secretary of V/ar previously quoted (see page 3),

The mission assigned 1$ sufficiently broad to permit considera­

all of which fit quite naturally into such a school, the determining
point as to inclusion "b^ing the length of the course. Whether the coarse
should be one or two year* depends, of course, on what is essential and
how detailed it is desired to make the instruction, lio not believe
that a student in the first two-year class is in a very good position to
state definitely whether or not the change is beneficial; time being re­
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quired for us to experience what we teve learned, In orter to oarer the

ne^Bfitry grour.d, pne year if probably too short, vtf.il# tt/o years aay T>«

a trifle long. Bdwever, the length of the course is iamterial if the

time be usefully spend in developing future commander

• and staff
officers, !Kie curriculum should include all those subject* which a com­
mander or general staff officer of the lower echelons of the combined anas
should know in order to train troops for operations, plan operations with**
, and
Re limits set by superior commanders execute the plans as drawn,

cient instnuction in units larger than the arra^ corps should be given

to show how all the units are fitted together to make an harmonious whole,
what co-operation between the military and industry is needed to umke an

efficient fighting force for the defense of the Nation,

The need for personnel to §err* as commanders and general staff
officers, while urgent, is less in nm\>ers than are the needs of the v&ri­
ous branches, Likewise, the number of officers who are qualified to act
as higher comaanders and staff officer* it smaller than the number who
i

are qualified to act efficiently as branch officers*. For these reasons,

all officers of the Army should not be designated to pursue the higher
courses. Due to the V;©rld War hump, age Umlts imposed to assist in dbe­
terminine qualifications for attendance at this school are no doubt desi~
rable, but in the future, it is not considered that upper age limits

should haye much effect in determining who shall attend, Eligibility for

attendance should be determined by the successful completion of all

courses in the Special Service Schools, and from efficiency reports. The

l&tter should be consulted chiefly in connection with those items which

relate to command and staff possibilities and attention to duty, Efficient
cy reports should include a statement as to whether or not the offtesr is

recommended for higher training and attendance at advanced schools, with |

a statement in full as to reasons in case of a negative recommendation,
The rating of "Superior 11 should net be referred to, for if ratings are
correctly applied, the number of officer* receiving such ratings would

so small as to defeat the purposes of military education, if that v&ting

be used to determine eligibility, from various sources, Xam convinced

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that the number of superior* officers in our service i*too large for
the rating to have any real value. But thi* should be the *übject of a

*r«cc>^l paper, fo no further eon*ideration of this t&tin^ as a means of

determining *gtualification* for attendance At fhe General Service School*
willbe entertained. It is believed that best result* from student* will

b* obtained ifthe course be provided before the twentieth year of «er«>

vie#, !I&i*would allow maple tijse for the completion of Special Senict
School course* a*. noted above (see page 9), and would permit the u*e of a

larger percentage of graduate© «yJ3*e<iuent to cowj4etion of the <joi«r*e #

So officer below th# miAnoint in the promotion list of captain* *hculd

b« conilo>red for detail to thi* school, 'Bie solution of the promotion
problem, and the fixing of limit*for the *?pe<?A&): Service School* will

&t?ect any period *e$ for the tin» of attendance at this achool, Ibe-r

lieve that the period from the fourteenth to the twenty-fiith of

*errice *hould be *iafficient to m^et all requirement* &n& en*iure that all
qtj&lified officer* wowld be permitted to talpe the co«r*e #

Graduation from the Cocsaand and General Uaff School ehould b?

*ufficient to 'njak©' th^ General Staff tTi^ioie Ll*t# <ln/ student who
ffcjila to »a3fe a grade *atfficient tor the school authoritle* to recoamnd
him for incision on that li*t*hould not be g:iyen a diploma, 1?o provide
a list of eligible* for inclusion in later cowse* at the Ars^ l&r Colle^8
tl^e omjjijiB.ndfiiit *hotxXd iirccftre a list 01* each cl&j^s including?
/

All tho*e whosj he recoiaitaend* for further instruction at that college*

Thi* should not operate in any way &*?&ij**tthose graduates who are not
incl-oded in the li*t, ]iyery officer *houid realize that he can expect to

*urvival of the fitted f &n& hi* work thr* "jhout hi* c&raor should *how

appreciation of that fact* Elimination* are nece**ary to Insure the be*t

jsen arriving at the top, aud to prevent wattage in giving instwaction to

thof^ who aye not well equipped to receive it,

S?EE AB£E %X& COLLESE* A# *tated before, student* for t&e

course at %h& hxm;/ War College should be selected from those veccsmmideA
by th£ Conimndarit of the Conwand &nd General Staff School, f
lliere should
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be no need for further consideration of work at The Special Service

Schools or the perusal of efficiency reports. Individual aptitude for

further training along lines of command and staff would certainly show in j

the relative standing of Jjhose graduates of the same class. If scholar­

ship standards can "be taken as a "basis, it appears that all officers rated]

as "average" "by The Command and General Staff • School should be classed as j
eligible for attendance at The Army War College. In addition, there mi^htj
"be found a few officers who, "by their extra efforts in branch or staff

work, s . -•
also be rated as eligible for attendance witfro"i£fc passing
through The Command and General Staff School, or receiving the recommen­

dation of the Commandant thereof.

The mission' of this college is shown in.Paragraph .5 f (l), Army

Begulations 350-5, and Ican see no good reason for modifying it in any

way. It is: "**totrain officers in the following: (a) High command and

general staff duty with units larger than the army corps, (b) War Depart­

ment General Staff Duty and duty in the office of the Secretary of War.

Corps area command and general staff duty, supplementing similar in­

ction given at The Command and General Staff School."

Instruction should be supplementary to that given at The Com­

jmand and General Staff School, where a sufficient basis is provided. The

individual should be thrown more and more upon his own resources*, and

allowed to work out the problems in his own way, thus tending to develop

initiative based on the officer f s knowledge and experience. Discussion

between individuals and by groups then forms the best method of instruc­

tion, because interchange of ideas in this manner tends to show the errors

of one T s own reasoning or to confirm opinions already formed. The

course should include instruction in existing war plans, as well as origi-j

nal work in connection with the modification or preparation of such plans. j

Estimates and surveys of current conditions, and their effects on plans

for defense of the Hation should be made. This course is the final one in

which the officer will receive theory, at the conclusion of which he

should be able to take his place among those v/ho are responsible for the
development of all military means for the preservation of American ideals ]

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 in accordance with any situation which, may develop.

IKDIVIDUAV'STUDY. No discussion of a system of education would

[j be complete without some reference to individual study. As a matter of

jfact, it should receive early consideration "because of its importance.

Jj School courses cannot include all of the desirable subjects with which an

|J officer should be familiar. To do so would require a disproposrtionate

|amount of time , v/ithout sufficient return. Then too, many subjects are

ij not easily handled in class room work, with the result that these must be

|; covered by individual work if at all. In such cases, the best that can be

j done by the school is to exercise some sort of supervision over the mdi- |

i vidual work with a guiding hand at critical periods. The military man

;j can learn much by constant study of past events and actions. Hftdle much

of the information on such subjects can be secured in digests of various

v
kinds, the individual does not receive the maximum benefits from these

sources. It is ohly through interest in a subject which prompts research

of sonte kind with a subsequent formulation of one fs own opinion as to

causes and results that the maximum benefit is obtained.

It is my belief that one of the aims of the Basic School should |

be the stimulation, of interest in at least one subject related to the

military art, but which is not the subject matter of any school course.

The time to begin individual study is when one enters the service, al­

though it is never too late to begin if it has been put off for one reasori

of another. Each individual should develop a hobby outside of his regu­

lar work, and by constant application should become an authority on that

hobby. It goes without saying that this hobby should have some connection

with the military art.

Prom time to time, the War Department, one of the various

Eiols,
or some commander, has published a list of books which it is de­
,ble for all officers to read. It seems to me that the War Department

Id go farther than the mere publication of thin lift. More of the

pose libraries should be furnished with copies of these books, and the

post commander should be charged with supervision of the individual study

of all officers on the post. The troop schools, provided in Army Hegula­
i
i
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* •

tions 350-5, should be used as an agency for this supervision. ISony of

the subjects taught at troop schools should "be taught exclusively at the

Special Service Schools, leaving for post supervision only those things

which are of immediate interest to the work in hand. As a supplement to

these subjects, the post commander could conduct the troop schools during
I
the greater part of the year as groups for discussion of selected "books

from the list published by the ?/ar Department. Different subjects, or

phases* could be assigned to the various officers who would be required to

prepare a paper on his assignment for presentation before the group. One

or more groups would be formed dependent on the number of officers present

anci>their various attainments. At the close of the year, officers should

be given certificates showing tlie individual study on subjects as listed

ihereon, and suitable entry made on their efficiency reports. Such en-

L would be useful* at later periods in determining qualifications

at the higher schools.

An objection may be raised to such a plan as this on the

for

grounds that it would tend to discourage further individual study. But I

contend that the tendency would be the reverse. !Ehe officer, to whom

study on something other than his regular work has become second nature,

would not be affected. On the other hand, many of those who have not cul­

tivated the habit of study would become interested and secure an incentive

for further self -improvement. And those who still did not feel tempted to

devote any additional time to study would be benefitted by their enforced

work and by listening in at the group conferences where they should absorbi
some knowledge even though it comes to them second-hand.
of the Special Service Schools should require a monograph
bAll
from each student during each year of the course, with the exception of

the Basic course and the short courses. !Ehe -subject of the paper should

be left to the student, subject to the approval of the Commandant, fhe

subject should be one which requires research, or on which the student

desires to express original thoughts, and should have some relation to

§c military art. Subjects should be allotted at the beginnini; of the

school year so as to allow sufficient time for preper research in addition

i
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to regular assignment of school subjects

Many of the courses available to officers, such as The Baval

7/ar College, and those at fevilian

,*
institutions of learning shWld "be
%
classified as individual study. Such courses should be increased to in­

clude many different subjects which will increase an officer's efficiency

in staff work, and more particularly in his understanding of the relation

between civilian affairs of all kinds and the military for the adequate

defense of the Ration. Qualified officers should be encouraged to apply

for these courses, and every effort made to secure the maximum attendance

possible.

In this paper, Ihave attempted to show what should be the aim

of our system of military education, not so much by setting forth any new;

ideas as by attempting to show that our present system is adequate. The

present system i* ample in its directive and sufficient in its accomplish­

ments to cover the desired field, namely, the adequate instruction of

officers of the Army to fit them for a life of efficient service to -foe

Eation. In additton, Ihave attempted to show that a system of requiring

and enforcing some definite form of individual study, in addition to pre­

scribed school courses, would probably be beneficial in results to the

Army as a whole.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

/ Annual Eeport of the Secretary of Yfor, 1919.

Army Regulations 350-5.
Personal experiences and observations.

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