The Educated Officer

The Educated Officer

Throughout a twenty-year career in the military, emphasis was continually placed on tenacity, battle drills, and rote memorization of tasks. Being able to react quickly without thought was a benefit during the early years of my career. This was important in order to move a squad or platoon in reaction to an enemy threat. The study of tactics and military science didn’t occur until my fifteenth year of service during attendance at the Command and General Staff Officer Course (CGSC), and even there pursuing an advanced civilian degree was frowned upon. The common explanation was that the time required to do so would be detrimental to my career. Specifically, I would miss certain career opportunities and my peers would pass me by. Even my branch would discourage getting out of the mainstream to advance my education. It was commonly thought that advanced education of an officer would serve well if he was to teach, but a warrior needed to be tough and courageo...