Transformation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ Education System
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Nijolė Janulaitienė General and Professional Education 3/2011 pp. 8-12 ISSN 2084-1469 TRANSFORMATION OF THE LITHUANIAN ARMED FORCES’ EDUCATION SYSTEM Nijolė Janulaitienė Lithuanian Military Academy Silo Str. 5 A, LT- 10322 Vilnius, Lithuania e-mail: [email protected] Abstract: As Atlantic Alliance aims to develop properly military capabilities, it has to pay special attention to military training, for only well-trained armed forces can take up the challenges and threats a state faces. The readiness level of the military is the major criterion for assessing the preparation of the armed forces to fulfill the objectives set for a state. Therefore, rational control and coordination of the servicemen’ training process is a very important factor in preparing contemporary Lithuanian Armed Forces. The Lithuanian Military Doctrine (2010) defines training principles of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and is a key document for preparing the military training strategy. Keywords: State Security, Armed Forces, Transformation of the Military, Military Training, Combat Training, Military Training Strategy. Introduction Academy of Lithuania, Training and Doctrine Command with its subordinate units: Division State and nation security depends highly on the General Stasys Raštikis Lithuanian Armed efficient institutional security system. The place Forces School, General Adolfas Ramanauskas of the armed forces is significant in the military Warfare Training Centre, Lithuanian Great security system. However, only well-trained Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment. armed forces with well-developed military The Land Forces Juozas Lukša Training Centre capabilities and giving military training its trains military specialists who educate primary focus are professional and able to take servicemen by organizing their combat training. on the challenges and threats a state faces. Research object: Changes in the education The aim of the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ system of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. transformation that has begun several years ago Research method: Study and analysis of is to prepare “multifunctional, mobile, military scientific and teaching materials and manoeuvrable, more easily deployable, government decisions. controlled and maintained capabilities to be ready for present and future challenges and Military Pedagogy in Lithuania threats and be able to take up future missions” [6]. The Transformation Guidelines for the Military and combat training and spiritual Lithuanian Armed Forces provides nurture at the armed forces is the field of transformation in 8 fields of the military military pedagogy with specific features, development. however, belonging to education science. The key field of the armed forces development Two periods of the Lithuanian military is education and training system including all pedagogy may be distinguished as follows: the fields of the transformation mentioned in Period 1. Sources and Development of the guidelines. Thus it is essential for the Military Pedagogy in the Period of Independent development of the professional armed forces. Lithuania in 1922-1940 The National Defence System is comprised of Lt. Col. V. Biržiška and Col. K. Žukas were the the following military education institutions and founding fathers of the Lithuanian military centres: the General Jonas Žemaitis Military pedagogy during the Independence. They 8 General and Professional Education 3/2011 TRANSFORMATION OF THE LITHUANIAN ARMED FORCES’ EDUCATION SYSTEM defined military pedagogy as “the science that missions, the military becomes a bureaucratic provides the fundamentals of physical, mental, state authority that uses budget resources and technical and moral servicemen training” [11, does not perform its major function to ensure 253]. Such concept was sufficient for the country’s external security. warfare specialists of those times. The ideas of During the period of Lithuania’s independence the first military pedagogues were promoted by in 1990-2011, the military training system has the following officers of the General Staff and been constantly changing as there was no single Armed Forces: Col. V. Kiršinas, Lt. Col. policy on military training. It depended on J. Šepetys, Col. P. Tarasenka, Div. Gen. internal and external factors, such as the S. Raštikis, Maj. V. Bulvičius, Capt. provisions of the Ministry of National Defence, V. Kuzmickis, Lt. B. Juškys, etc. international environment and the authorities’ Period 2. Formation and Development of political decisions. A point should be made that Postmodern Military Pedagogy in 1990-2011 the Lithuanian Armed Forces started its The period started in 1990 after the restoration of existence from scratch. Atlantic Alliance independence of Lithuania and the Armed countries (Denmark, Great Britain, the US, etc) Forces. During those years the world faced helped a lot in creating the military training radical changes influencing strategic situation infrastructure and training military personnel. and previous international security conditions. They helped the Lithuanian Armed Forces to International community started solving new meet Alliance standards. Throughout its history, objectives related to authorities’ power and the the Lithuanian military training system went use of armed forces in controlling international through constant changes that were made conflicts, strengthening global peace and security according to the models of various foreign and defending democratic values. Such political countries measuring the resources, authority situation and rapidly changing technologies policy, international cooperation policy, etc. required new thinking from the information In 2003 the reform was introduced in defence society. and control of the military. Its primary aim was According to the experience of the military to professionalize the military [9, pp.14-18; 2, pedagogues in Switzerland (R. Steiger and pp.19-22]. Help in adopting the reform was U. Zwygart) [10], Germany (F. Poggeler), received from the expert groups (e.g. CUBIC Austria (D. Portner and D. Kissel) and Corporation) who gained experience in similar Lithuania, the educational institutions of projects. The reform was followed by the military training in Lithuania started using the transformation project of the military that was concept military education in the context of launched several years later. In 2007 the military science in the beginning of the 21st Minister of National Defence approved the century [3, p. 21]. Transformation Guidelines for the Lithuanian Discussions opened up for the concepts military Armed Forces that included transformation in training and combat training. Some military the field of military and combat training [6]. scientists and officers associated these concepts Military training is a complex phenomenon; with each other, while others separated them. therefore, it may be analyzed in pedagogical The discussions brought great confusion in the and systematic aspects. From the pedagogical theory and practice of military pedagogy. aspect, the training process is defined as a long- The discourse on the terminology of military term cognitive and practical interaction between pedagogy has been active to present years. the instructor and serviceman when the latter Currently the topic on professionalization of the receives theoretical and practical experience military and directions of its transformation and is prepared to act alone in particular battle dominates. Therefore, it is worth reviewing the conditions [4, p. 27]. Analyzing the training process of military training in Lithuania in a process in a systematic approach, the attention systematic approach. is paid to specific institutional environment for organizing the training process with its specific Key Features of the Lithuanian Military features. Training System Efficient training of the contemporary armed forces depends on the following factors: Military training is the basis for professional long-term strategy (conceptual framework) and efficient armed forces. Without thorough for the Armed Forces development and training preparation to perform war and peacetime 9 General and Professional Education 3/2011 Nijolė Janulaitienė and consistent strategy-based implementation Earlier widely used term military training in the of the training policies (basis for training); Transformation Guidelines for the Lithuanian institutional infrastructures (place of Armed Forces is hidden behind the individual training); training and combat training is distinguished as technical base (equipment) necessary for a separate category in the context of collective optimization of the training process (teaching training. With reference to the US experience, aid to be used); the essence and differences of military training application of innovative educational and combat training will be defined. personnel training methods (who teaches and Combat training is an individual professional how). continuous training process that is performed at Different understanding of the military training the Lithuanian National Defence System and processes caused many discussions among the other Atlantic Alliance countries’ military researches of the Lithuanian military pedagogy. education institutions. Its aim is to provide Up to now general definitions of military servicemen with general and special knowledge training and combat training dominate on leadership and control to perform properly dictionaries and military pedagogy publications. military duties. In other words, military training