Want ‘Strategically Minded Warfighters?’ Then Make ‘Intellectualism’ a Military Value

A common refrain whenever military leaders and policymakers are dissatisfied with military performance is to argue that Professional Military Education (PME) needs to change. Although education should never be static, blaming PME institutions for the military not achieving policy outcomes ignores deeper fundamental issues with how the military perceives and approaches education. If policymakers and national security leaders are serious about educating practitioners to be more effective, they must move away from the current episodic approach that is more focused on credentialing than intellectually nurturing. This article offers a critique of how the military approaches education and offers recommendations for changing the way PME is viewed and practitioners are educated.