tpg - that was very thoughtful and I have some answers for you concerning West Point. Hopefully some "other Academy" folk can come up with some answers for the "other Academies" - Ricks only singled out West Point because it has the most famous name but make no mistake - he was including all the SA's in his op-ed.
I heartily agree with you that this was simply meant to be provacative. Perhaps he thought the notoriety would help him sell more books.
“Know yourself and seek self-improvement”.
I think West Point does this and continually does this. This institution in continually evolving. Just ask any "old grad". Course work is modified and improved upon as is training. Even the Cadet Leadership Development System has evolved over time.
Just recently West Point made some changes in the calendar and summer training.
The academic calendar has been compressed to allow for a 12 week summer. Not for vacation but for more and better training. The number of Cadets who experience foreign travel and learning experiences has jumped markedly in the past few years.
AIAD programs are offered through the curriclum and take place for a semester, during the summer or even during spring break. There are parents on this forum whose children have benefited from these experiences. Many of the experiences would not be available to a ROTC student at an Ivy League college or any other college. Last year West Point cadets were immersed in 36 nations with over 500 cadets participating. 60 cadets spent spring break at 27 foreign military academies, about 150 study language and culture in semester abroad programs in places such as China, Morroco and Egypt. Every cadet is required to take 4 semesters of a foreign language except for engineering majors. They are required to take 2 semesters. The vast majorities of ROTC engineering majors in civilian schools do not take any foreign language.
Beast Barracks has New Cadets in the field for a week at the end of the summer at FOB Buckner. They, unlike other classes were not coddled sleeping in the bays or tents. They did night patrols, land nav and a host of other infantry training excercises. As a female, my daughter would not be able to have had this infantry training in ROTC. Her opportunities for Air Assault and Airborne, would also be severely limited and not likely in the "real Army" unless she was with the 82nd or 101st.
Do military officers benefit from attending a civilian graduate school after having learned their trade as warfighters and during a period in their careers that permits them to spend a year or two “away from troops?” The short answer is yes….”
Yes! That option is available and a number of Army officers do just that. Each of the 32 companies at West Point is overseen by a TAC officer. They all have master's degrees, commonly from Columbia. Ivy League! West Point has a program with Columbia where a TAC earns their Master's for two years and in the second year and for 2 more years serves as a TAC. I would place a bet that all of the TAC's at West point today have been deployed at least once and seen combat.
I was very dissappointed in Tom Ricks "OP-ED" and question follow up. He wanted the defensive and got it but on the surface it appears he knows little about West Point. Perhaps he is basing his knowledge on discussions with Gen Petraeus. I have tons of respect for the good General but the West Point of 1974 is not even close to the West Point of 2009. The two educations are apples and oranges.
As an American taxpayer, I think a diverse military is a good thing. Diversity in our Officer corps is not just about race and color. It's about bringing different learning experiences to the table. Some from enlisted, some from civilian school and ROTC and others from the "47 month experience" of West Point.
Lastly - cost. Tom Ricks quotes $200,000 or so for the cost of education. This is the cost of Ivy League. Perhaps he is just a little out of touch with the cost of higher education.
As I posted previously, the West Point Army post is more than an academy. There is a lot of land and facilities that are routinely used for Army training. We should not be quantifying the "extra's" as cost to train a cadet.
I think it's a little pompous of him to suggest that all of our Army officers come to the Army with an Ivy league education. This doesn't make for a better officer - more often than not it makes for a short-termer.
Which is a whole 'nother subject that Bruno brought up.................