Military Education and Training

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Making the Most of JROTC

Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) units in U.S. schools have drawn intensive scrutiny of late, and some districts might consider dropping JROTC. But they should take stock of what they'll lose. Students who choose to enroll in JROTC and stick with it do better in school than their peers.

Melanie A. Zaber @MelanieZaber

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Military Assistance to Ukraine Is a Rare Success

Recently, the United States reversed its long-standing opposition to sending Ukraine F-16 advanced aircraft to aid its fight against Russia. The policy reversal is a smart call. Once the aircraft are delivered and training is complete the jets will help Ukraine defend its territory more efficiently, and might even help end the war.

Alexander Noyes @alexhnoyes, Richard Bennet

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Preparing for Strategic Competition: The Need for Irregular Warfare Professional Military Education

The Department of Defense does not provide the irregular warfare professional military education necessary for success in competition and conflict in the 21st century. This is not a new problem, but it is one that may deserve new attention from Congress and the Pentagon.

Charles T. Cleveland, Daniel Egel, et al.

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Unlocking Training Technology for Multi-Domain Operations

Multi-domain operations (MDO) can present many challenges for training. Involvement of various disparate organizations and services can exacerbate these challenges and can require balancing centralized coordination with decentralized training objectives. If MDO is to provide new benefits, the training community may need to solve old problems. It may need to communicate more effectively.

Timothy Marler

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David E. Johnson: A Remembrance

On October 30th, David E. Johnson, Col U.S. Army (retired), a principal researcher at RAND and a leading intellectual in national defense and military history, passed away following a long illness. His deep knowledge of military history provided a perspective to analyze problems and make sound policy recommendations that were valued by senior decisionmakers in the Army and elsewhere.

Gian Gentile, John Gordon IV

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The Congressionally Authorized Irregular Warfare Functional Center Is a Historic Opportunity: Will the Department of Defense Capitalize on It?

The U.S. Department of Defense may be facing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix a critical gap in its national security arsenal. Congress has authorized the creation of an institution dedicated to the study and research of irregular warfare. Unfortunately, initial indications are that this opportunity might not be realized.

Charles T. Cleveland, Daniel Egel, et al.

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Beware the Allure of Training Technology

In addition to focusing on acquiring technology that helps retain a competitive advantage, the U.S. Department of Defense could also focus on codifying processes that align technology with user needs and that adapt as technology, military operations, and needs change. Considering context when planning the development and use of training technology could be crucial.

Timothy Marler

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The Value of Institutional Capacity Building Through Professional Military Education

Security cooperation rarely makes headlines. But it enhances the security of the United States and its allies and partners in an effective and cost-effective way, and may deserve more attention and support.

Susan M. Sohler Everingham, Alan G. Stolberg

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Insights on Russia's War in Ukraine, Global Citizenship, Vaccination Equity: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Russia's war on Ukraine, medication treatment for patients with opioid use disorder, promoting global citizenship in America, and more.

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Analytical Gaming Could Help the U.S. Coast Guard Address Key Challenges

By gradually expanding its gaming efforts, the U.S. Coast Guard might improve both the quality of its decisions and the strength of its relationships, making the service ever more capable as it navigates the challenges of the 21st century.

Scott Savitz, Abbie Tingstad

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How the Military Might Expand Its Cyber Skills

The U.S. military will need to improve its software fluency if it wants to be dominant on the battlefields of the future. Ensuring that future leaders in the military develop cyber skills and the ability to interface with technical experts may be increasingly important.

James Ryseff

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Use Wargaming to Sharpen the Tactical Edge

As a growing consensus embraces the utility of educational wargaming, a more daunting question remains: Can the Joint Force integrate and sustain educational wargaming in the operating forces? The challenges are substantial, but they are not insurmountable. The answer depends on bold leadership, sufficient tools, and eager partners.

Sebastian Joon Bae, Paul M. Kearney

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Wargames as an Educational Tool

The benefits of games for military education are well documented. But harnessing the potential of games to foster innovation may require a commitment to sustain gaming over the years needed to explore a problem space and develop and stress-test new ideas.

Elizabeth M. Bartels @elliebartels

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Establishing a Wargaming Insurgency at the University

When properly employed, wargaming can serve as a potent experiential learning tool. If educational wargaming is to evolve and endure, a global wargaming insurgency may be required. This will likely demand additional time, effort, and energy, but if successful, the dividends could be remarkable.

Sebastian Joon Bae

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How to Train Your AI Soldier Robots (and the Humans Who Command Them)

While AI-enabled robots will have human-like characteristics, they will likely develop distinct personalities of their own. The military will need an extensive training program to inform new doctrines and concepts to manage this powerful, but unprecedented, capability.

Thomas Hamilton

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Review of Behavioral Health Technician Training, Policies, and Practice Identifies New Opportunities

Behavioral health technicians are trained to be an essential part of the mental health clinical team, serving as provider extenders who work alongside and support licensed mental health providers. What are the factors that affect these roles? And how can the Military Health System most effectively incorporate them into mental health care settings?

Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Bradley Blair, et al.

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America's National Defense Strategy and the Paradox of Technology

The need for the military to make greater investments in technology is difficult if not impossible to separate from the risks posed by an increasing military reliance on this technology. Striking a balance between the two won't be easy.

Chad C. Serena, Colin P. Clarke

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China's Military Has No Combat Experience: Does It Matter?

China's military has an impressive high-tech arsenal, but its ability to use these weapons and equipment remains unclear. The one asset that the People's Liberation Army lacks is combat experience. But there is no consensus—either within Chinese military circles or among foreign analysts—on how much that matters.

Timothy R. Heath

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Building a Pipeline of Wargaming Talent: A Two-Track Solution

How does the Department of Defense imagine the future of war and make long-term investments to confront the challenges ahead? On issues ranging from potential conflicts with Russia to the future of transportation and logistics, senior leaders have increasingly turned to wargames to imagine potential futures.

Elizabeth M. Bartels @elliebartels

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Just Let Them Compete: Raising the Next Generation of Wargamers

Wargames are games that simulate aspects of warfare at varying levels, aimed at analyzing human decisionmaking. To develop the next generation of avid wargamers, the first step is both radical and simple: Let them compete.

Sebastian Joon Bae

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To Produce Strategists, Focus on Staffing Senior Leaders

To reinvigorate graduate-level professional military education, the military could carve out a unique educational niche by focusing on intense, quality staff officer education that is more relevant to understanding the demands placed on top defense leaders.

Paula G. Thornhill

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Improving the Effectiveness of Air Force Squadron Commanders

U.S. Air Force commanders around the world understand their responsibilities. But they believe that many unrecognized duties interfere with mission performance. They are generally prepared by professional education and career progression to fulfill their responsibilities, but they could use more instruction on how to command.

John A. Ausink, Miriam Matthews

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To Take Raqqa, the U.S. Must Work with Its Partner in the Fight Against the Islamic State Group

Turkey strongly opposes the U.S. bid to arm the Syrian Kurds. Rushing into Raqqa without reaching agreement with Turkey would jeopardize larger U.S. regional and even global geopolitical objectives.

Linda Robinson

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China's PLAAF Pilot Training Program Undergoes Major Overhaul

China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has made great strides in recent years to transform its pilot training program. PLAAF leaders understand many of the institutional and cultural weaknesses that impede effectiveness and are taking measures to address them.

Lyle J. Morris, Eric Heginbotham

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China's Air Force Is Fixing Its Shortcomings

The prevailing view among Western observers is that Chinese fighter pilots lack the tactical mindset to engage and prevail in a dynamic, unscripted combat environment. But the PLAAF appears to have undertaken major reform in how it trains its pilots.

Lyle J. Morris

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How Do Chinese Surface-to-Air Missile Forces Train?

Surface-to-air missile (SAM) forces play a crucial role in Chinese military planning. Recent training activity indicates that PLAAF SAM units' operational readiness and capabilities may vary depending on their location and the time of year.

Cristina L. Garafola @CLGarafola

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From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: Transferring Veterans' Skills to the Civilian Labor Market

The number of returning veterans is expected to grow to 4.2 million over the next decade. This robust talent pool can be an asset to the civilian workforce. Investments in translating veterans' skills, certification and licensing, and comprehensive career counseling can improve this transition.

Kimberly Curry Hall

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Political Scientists and the Military

For civilian academics interested in bridging the political science–military gap, five recommendations to acquire basic information about the military could encourage improved interaction, better policy-relevant scholarship, and an enhanced policy process.

Paula G. Thornhill, Rachel Whitlark

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A Funny Thing Happened When These Military Officers and Academics Got Together

If senior military officers and academics find themselves divided, is there a way to build respect and trust earlier in their careers? A tabletop exercise suggested that the best way to bridge the civilian-military divide is not via large conferences or formal papers. Instead, it can be done by building trust, one person at a time, over time.

Paula G. Thornhill

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Mending the Marriage Between Colleges and the Military

Without a concerted effort to change military executive education, military services will continue a misguided effort to buy academic credibility, and some elite universities will continue selling their names. Most importantly, the Untied States will miss an opportunity to hone the critical thinking of its next generation of military leaders.

Paula G. Thornhill

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Post-9/11 GI Bill: A Good Investment in Our Veterans Can Be Better

To better tailor the benefits to the actual needs of veterans, it is important to determine how much the implementation has really improved, and if there are lessons that can be drawn to improve future initiatives. Of critical concern is whether veterans have the information they need to take the best advantage of their GI Bill benefits.

Jennifer L. Steele

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Colleges Can Learn from For-Profits' Emphasis on the Consumer

Though for-profit institutions had been criticized in the Senate report as offering credits that were hard to transfer elsewhere, it was the colleges' willingness to accept military transcripts that appealed to veterans who wanted to complete their degrees as fast as possible, writes Jennifer Steele.

Jennifer L. Steele

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Should Uncle Sam Want You?

Despite some calls to reinstitute the draft, Beth Asch writes in an commentary that the all-volunteer military is working just fine.

Beth J. Asch