The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2012

30 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 must also be capable of serving in a joint assignment where they are re- quired to integrate Army capabilities as part of a larger, joint service effort. As their careers progress, these offi- cers go on to master joint operations while developing skills in interagency operations. Intermediate Level Education At about the 10-year mark in an officer’s career, the Army takes him or her out of operational units for enroll- ment in an intensive, yearlong academic program known as Intermediate Level Education. ILE marks the first time the Army brings all officers from different branches together in an academic setting to focus on combined arms integration. At Fort Leavenworth, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College educates and trains mid-career Army officers, international officers, sister service officers and interagency leaders to operate in full-spectrum Army, joint, interagency and multinational environments as field-grade commanders and staff officers. Each year, in two overlapping sessions, some 1,100 Army officers, 160 sister service officers, 120 international officers and 30 in- teragency representatives complete the 10-month course of study. About 100 top-rated officers are then chosen for a second year of graduate-level study at the School of Ad- vanced Military Science. Only a limited number of lieutenant colonels and colonels are provided the opportunity to command bat- talions and brigades. Battalion and brigade commanders are centrally chosen by a selection board convened each year at the Department of the Army’s headquarters. Those who are selected attend the School for Command Preparation. This program, lasting five to seven weeks, prepares new Army commanders, their spouses and the new command sergeants major for the unique require- ments of commanding and leading soldiers during war and peace across the full spectrum of operations. Full-Spectrum Learning Leader development is a continuous process ― not a single event, course or assignment. The proportion of time spent in institutional training or education assign- ments during a career is typically less than 10 percent. It must be noted, however, that this percentage is much higher during the first 12 years of a ca- reer so that there is a sufficient period of time for the individual and the Army to benefit from the learning. These institutional training and ed- ucation experiences are critical to cre- ating the foundation on which more complex operational experience can be understood and used as a learning op- portunity. While a significant amount of the learning that goes into attaining a developmental state comes from or- ganizational assignments, institutional learning is also nec- essary to create the best foundation on which to build and synthesize that experience. Full-spectrum learning is the idea that a soldier’s ca- reer should reflect an integrated balance of training, ed- ucation and experience. During the Captains Career Course the institutional focus is on training, but there are elements of education and experience. Similarly, at ILE, an officer’s focus is mainly on education, but training and experience are still involved, as well. The emphasis in all assignments is on maintaining the appropriate balance of the three domains. It is noteworthy that 6.5 percent of officers entering the Army as second lieutenants have a master’s degree. But for those who remain in the service for a minimum of 20 years, the percentage of officers with at least one grad- uate degree increases to 84 percent. For many of these individuals, the advanced degree was earned with the help of the Army, either at a military school such as the Com- mand and General Staff College or the Army War Col- lege, or in one of the many subsidized programs at civilian colleges and universities. As an indicator of the Army’s support and investment in the development of an individual soldier’s career, this is a remarkable measure of performance. What is equally impressive is the effectiveness of that commitment in grooming soldiers for top leadership positions. In devot- ing the energy and resources to maintain this extensive training and educational program of professional career development, the Army is confirming its belief that lead- ers are made, not born. Lessons for State The Army’s investment in training and education pro- vides the essential foundation on which on-the-job expe- rience can take root and grow. Experience alone F OCUS The Army is confirming its belief that leaders are made, not born.