What is a professional military education? Is it sitting in a classroom for hours? How about endless Power Point slides? Maybe a series of boring lectures? What does a well-rounded military mind look like? “Never let schooling come in the way of an education” is one of my favorite sayings. Military education is not formal. It is about curiosity and intellectual growth. It encompasses a broad scope of topics to include leadership, business, history, strategy, science, and technology.
There is an art and a science to warfighting. For the professional warfighter, the ability to recognize patterns is important. By studying people and history, one is able to gain knowledge and insights that will help solve complex problems. Military thinkers solve problems. Without easy answers, strategists need to find solutions. One can develop this ability through personal study.
Professional Military Education is about fostering and encouraging personal studies. Military education should interest both military professionals and civilian personnel. You do not have to be in the military to gain a professional military education. Everyone benefits from it.
I have interviewed many authors on a variety of historical topics as well as some current events in world affairs and global leaders. I have reviewed many books and studied articles that are found in professional publications. The goal is to better understand the complexity of issues and challenges in the world today.