Summary of Topics to Be Considered for Presentation from the Military Tiger Team

Subject: Military Tiger Team—Executive SummaryAs of 7 December 2006

Military Tiger Team

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This document summarizes the topics to be considered for Presentation from the Military Tiger Team. Short title of each topic is in bold/underlined. The topics themselves are discussed on the subsequent pages attached to this document.

As articulated in the Green Book, the Military Program is “the organizing framework for sequential and progressive military training and leadership development requirements, experiences, and activities designed to support individual cadet military and leader development, and internalization of the roles and principles of Officership. The Military Program will focus specific attention on the development in cadets of the requisite attributes to be commissioned leaders of character.”

Our assessment is that the multiple and distinct aspects of the military program—during summer training at West Point; during summer training away from West Point; and during the academic year in MS classes, PME classes, other classes, additional military training in the afternoons, on Saturdays, and at other times—is effective in supporting the cadet leader development system.During the academic year, several aspects of the military program can be enhanced by adjusting or refocusing the timing, nature, and presentation of material that either enhances opportunities for cadets or enhances the cadets’ appreciation of the military development program. Recommendations 2 to 9 cover these relatively straightforward options. During the summers, the need to improve Cadet Field Training, the opportunity to more closely integrate with ROTC summer training, the potential scarcity of support from Army units, and potential pressure from TRADOC and FORSCOM, will likely require a substantial adjustment in Cadet summer training. Recommendation 10, in its variants, posits some options that may lead to further study of future options concerning summer training.

Each of the following recommendations is generally independent of each other and can be adopted or rejected in whole or in part. Where options are interdependent with each other or with the recommendations of other teams, those connections have been highlighted. The recommendations have been roughly organized by the degree of difficulty of implementation with the recommendations that are relatively more difficult to implement at the end.

Conceptual basis for discussion, does not need to be necessarily adopted:

Understand the Vision for our Tiger Team, which is an adaptation of what is in the current CLDS manual, updated with the Army’s concept for the Pentathlete to create a commissioned leader of character through the CLDS process.

Could be implemented almost immediately (by AY 07-08), if adopted:

Consolidate MS into a single semester of 40 lessons instead of two semesters of 20 lessons each and carefully examine the course content to see if it can approximate a 2.5 credit hour course, thereby enhancing the cadets’ emphasis on military science.

Redesignate numbering of selected courses so thatcadets understand that military education exists throughout the curriculum, taught by many departments, and all are integrated into the cadets’ professional major (e.g Military History would change form HI301/302 to MH 301/301; Leadership from PL 300 to ML 300; perhaps Law from LW 403 to ML 403, and there could be other courses).

Create a MX 402 interdisciplinary Capstone class to be taught as part of the cadets’ first-class year as the culminating course in a cadet’s professional major.

Refine and specify 4 & 8-hour training periods during the academic year so that they are programmed, and designed to support specific enrichment, military science classes, or review of carefully selected BOLC tasks.

Revise and refine the MPS to enhance the efficacy of military education and leader development for cadets.

Could be implemented almost immediately (by AY 07-08), if adopted—but requires obvious coordination with other tiger teams:

Create three chains of command during the academic year to increase the number of leader development opportunities.

[Note this was deferred to the CPME Team] Adjust PME2 and either resource it as a separate program or consolidate most or all PME instruction as part of MS classes (e.g. officership and/or capstone).

[Note this was deferred to the CPME Team] Augment Company Tactical Officer Teams with DPE, DMI, and 4 Academic representatives that would both be responsible for PMEE as well as assisting the Tactical Officer with assessing and developing cadets in the company.

Will require significant study and coordination prior to implementation and would be in FY 08 at earliest:

Study Summer Military Training for a change in Summer 2008 (at earliest) with the objective of separating CFT 1 and CFT 2 with CFT 1 concentration on BOLC Tasks and orientations to different parts of the Army and CFT 2 to concentrated on an a leader development and evaluation experience (similar to LDAC but with a different name):
Revise Summer Scheduling would consist of CFT 1 in yearling summer and CFT2/LDAC in cow summer [or firstie summer]. (Other summer requirements would be: STAP*, MDS*, AIAD*, PIAD*, Detail, CTLT/DCLT* some of which (selected *starred events) could be pulled down into yearling summer.
Refine CFT 1so that it focuses on the essential, supportable BOLC Tasks.
Create and enhanceCFT2/LDACso that itconsists of leader development and application of skills learned:
One variant would assume the same resources that USMA currently receives and essentially would just split the details and refocus CFT2.
Another variant would develop a program in conjunction with a FORSCOM directed adjustment in which significant numbers (perhaps as many as all) ROTC students also undergo this flagship leader development and evaluation experience.

This document contains pre-decisional information and is exempt from FOIA until decisions are made; it is for internal use only by Tiger Team personnel and should not be distributed further

Subject: Military Tiger Team: Vision (Tab A)

As of 7 December 2006

Military Tiger Team

Issue #1: Vision for Military Development at West Point

Discussion: The vision for our graduates is to develop commissioned leaders of character that combine the “Pentathlete” that Army needs with the mission, role, and place of the MilitaryAcademy. While various attributes of the Pentathlete have always been part of cadet development, both the articulation in documents and the emphasis in practice could be enhanced so that cadets are better prepared for the roles that they will play in the Army throughout their careers.

The Cadet Leader Development System (CLDS) is the vehicle within the West Point Experience that produces the Commissioned leader of character that we seek and is integrated and synchronized across all domains.

Although the CLDS is common to all cadets, the West Point experience will differ depending upon the skills, attributes, needs, and interests of each cadets. While all cadets must achieve the baseline in all areas of development, many will choose to exceed the baseline in selected areas. Additionally, all cadets will have opportunities for development beyond the baseline which they will accomplish through a combination of decisions that are made by policy, by the cadets tactical officer team and by the cadet himself or herself. The process of making that decision and the determination of exactly how the decision is made for activities for cadets beyond baseline requirements is a critical one. The process of decision-making in and of itself can be an important part of the developmental process.

Recommendation: That the Superintendent review for information only. No decision necessary. None of this fundamentally contradicts anything that is articulated in the current CLDS manual or the current discussions by the CLDS Tiger Team. It is stated, however, to provide a common starting point for discussion of other recommendations of the Military Tiger Team.

Resource Impact: None

Dissenting Position: None.

Supporting Documentation:

Tab A – Graphical Presentation of Vision

Tab A

Graphical Portrayal of Vision

This document contains pre-decisional information and is exempt from FOIA until decisions are made; it is for internal use only by Tiger Team personnel and should not be distributed further

Subject: Military Tiger Team: Vision (Tab A)

As of 7 December 2006

Military Tiger Team

Issue #2: Consolidate MS classes

Discussion: When intersession was discontinued and military science classes were integrated into the academic year, they were integrated in such a way as to minimize their impact on other cadet work. They were schedule as only 20 lessons, taken once every 4th class day and were worth only 0.5 credit hours. To accomplish 40 lessons, this schedule was continued over both semesters with each MS instructor teaching 8 sections of 15-20 cadets. While this arguably minimized impact, it also unnecessarily degraded the quality of the instruction. Consequently, some cadets generally do not spend adequate time or focus on their courses that prepare them for the profession of arms.

By combining 20 lessons from each semester into one semester of 40 lessons, the instruction could be more effective and could be placed in either fall or spring semester as it would best complement their summer training. The same number of instructors could teach only 4 sections every other day and would have to spend less time on reviewing topics from four days ago. Additionally, the courses could be somewhat more demanding while keeping the general approach of no more than an average of 20-30 minutes of planned homework prior to each class. This could potentially be weighted as a 2.5 credit hour course because, in fact, cadets who are either slow learners or master all aspects of every lesson could take as much as 1 hour or more in preparation for the course. This increase in the weight of military science could make cadets increase their effort and increase their general regard for military science instruction.

The schedule could be implemented as follows. Generally all first and fourth class cadets would take their MS instruction in the spring semester immediately before graduation or before CFT, respectively. Second and third class cadets would take their MS instruction in the fall to build on the lessons learned from the summer and to even out the instructional loads for DMI. The option to take the class in the “off” semester would be available for failures or selected cadets whose schedule (semester abroad, in season corps squad, medical leave) requires them to take the course in the “off” semester.

Class / First Semester / Second Semester
MS100 / By exception / Majority of Cadets
MS200 / Majority of Cadets / By exception
MS300 / Majority of Cadets / By exception
MX402* / None / Capstone

*This is a separate proposal in a corresponding position paper.

Recommendation: That the Commandant and Head of DMI consolidate MS into a single semester of 40 lessons instead of two semesters of 20 lessons each, beginning in AY 07-08. In recognition of the planned time and work already required, the course weight should be adjusted to 2.5 credit hours.

Resource Impact: Some reorganization of structure within DMI’s organization, but no new resources should be required. Coordination with registrar is required to ensure that scheduling can be accomplished, especially with athletes who have last hour off.

Supporting Documentation:USMA Redbook.

This document contains pre-decisional information and is exempt from FOIA until decisions are made; it is for internal use only by Tiger Team personnel and should not be distributed further

Subject: Military Tiger Team: Vision (Tab A)

As of 7 December 2006

Military Tiger Team

Issue #3: Redesignate numbering of selected courses

Discussion: Even with improvements in the military science curriculum, the MS courses, by their very nature are similar to the MS course taught in other commissioning sources. One of the distinct advantages that West Point graduates have is the professional major in military subjects that are integrated throughout the core curriculum, such as military leadership, military history, military law, and others. Although cadets understand that these are subjects that pertain to their profession, because they are taught by “academic” departments, cadets regard them more as history courses or BS&L courses rather than military courses that are an integral part of their professional major.

A minor change to the numbering of the courses could have an important effect in the perception of cadets as they think about the preparation in military subjects that they perceive. Courses that should be renumbered include:

History of the Military Art from HI 301/302 to MH 301/302
Military Leadership from PL 300 to ML 300
Constitutional and Military Law from LW 403 to ML 403. (Much of this course is a traditional constitutional law course and a minority of the course concerns military law. However, this is not too much of a stretch because much of the reason why cadets must understand constitutional law as part of the core curriculum is because of their role as a servant of society who has sworn an oath to the Constitution is derived from the Constitution)

The above three courses are clear. Additionally, subject to a curriculum review:

Physical Geography, which is EV 203, could potentially be renamed Military Geography MG 203(the current Military Geography elective, EV 482, would be Advanced Military Geography, MG 482).
If philosophy, PY 201, was revised to focus on the moral and philosophical underpinnings and moral-ethical basis of officership, it could be renamed Military Philosophy, MP 201. Or, alternatively, it could be renamed Military Philosophy and Ethics, MP 201, since the current course has an extensive focus on Just War Theory.

Recommendation: That the Dean redesignate numbering of selected courses, beginning in AY 07-08, so that cadets understand that military education exists throughout the curriculum, taught by many departments, and all are integrated into the cadets’ professional major.

Resource Impact: None

Dissenting Position: Arguably, this may cause problems with accreditation if individuals some how took the change in labels as an indication that these courses were being less rigorous. This is an important consideration to stress that the academic discipline and administration by their respective academic departments is unchanged with this transition.

Supporting Documentation: Redbook

This document contains pre-decisional information and is exempt from FOIA until decisions are made; it is for internal use only by Tiger Team personnel and should not be distributed further

Subject: Military Tiger Team: Company Tactical Teams (Tab A)

As of 7 December 2006

Military Tiger Team

Issue #4: Create a MX 402 interdisciplinary capstone course

Discussion: The current military science curriculum doesn’t have an integrative, capstone experience.

While the Academy’s academic program has adapted to make course offerings more relevant to the profession of arms and the changing operational environment that our graduates will find themselves leading soldiers in, there is no common integrative, capstone experience that provides a minimum baseline of knowledge to our graduates on the complex operational environment that they will face as leaders and commanders.

The course should focus on the complex challenges that our graduates will face in the coming decades during the “long war” and provide them with the strategic framework from which to appropriately judge their decisions as tactical leaders. While our adversaries over the coming decades will not be endowed with the technology to compete with the full power of the United States military, our cadets must understand that these adversaries will not be deterred by this and will employ strategies to overcome their weaknesses while trying to exploit ours – it is imperative that our cadets leave understanding this environment and how to best lead soldiers under their command during this “long war.”

Although this course would be the capstone experience for the military science curriculum, because of the multiple disciplines involved in the subject material of the course, it would be best to integrate faculty from all of the prerequisite course departments under the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic or the Department of Military Instruction to manage and administer the course.

Recommendation: That the Commandant appoint either SCPME or DMI to create an MX 402 interdisciplinary capstone class to be taught as part of the cadets’ first-class year as the culminating course in a cadet’s professional major, officership. This course should be resident under either DMI or SCPME, and use instructors from the multiple disciplines that the course draws upon. It should be a 3.0 credit hour course. The interdisciplinary team should refine the syllabus and coordinate the teaching team from several Departments to teach the course. The course should be developed NLT 31 May and implemented in 2nd semester, AY 07-08.

Resource Impact. As an interdisciplinary course that spans several departments, this course would require faculty from the following departments: History, English, Social Sciences, Behavior and Leadership Science, and DMI. Since fewer faculty would be required to teach the current MS 400 course in DMI there would be no overall net change in faculty, although overall faculty allocation among Departments may have to be adjusted.

Dissenting Position: None.

Supporting Documentation: Tab A. Draft Syllabus

MX402: The Pentathlete Leader

Intent: Design an integrative, multi-disciplinary capstone for the military science curriculum that will prepare USMA graduates for the challenges of the current operating environment. While many of the topics of the course are available to various cadets that major in certain disciplines, this course would seek to provide a common experience that prepares all cadets as commissioned leaders of character for the challenges of the 21st century.

Course Objectives: This course is designed to develop future Army officers’ ability to think strategically and lead tactically in the contemporary operating environment Specifically, cadets will: