Developing Army Leaders Through Cgsoc / Amsp and Bctp

The complexity of today's battlefield is perhaps the greatest an officer in the Army has ever witnessed in its 229 year history. The expectations of success for today's officer are no different than those of other generations. How the Army prepares its officers to deal with the complexities of the battlefield is the purpose of this monograph. Specifically, this monograph will take a focused look at two distinct arms of the institutional training domain; the Command and General Staff Officer's Course and the Advanced Military Studies Program and the Battle Command Training Program. To better analyze and subsequently make judgments and recommendations on the substance offered in these institutions, I have attempted to describe and explain numerous stimuli that an officer will have to contend with as he serves in the Army formations of today and tomorrow. These stimuli have been broken down into two distinct areas; enemy and friendly. The enemy situation is comprised of such categories as the current environment, potential threats, the use of asymmetry, and cultural awareness. Focus areas for the friendly situation includes discussion on guidance from civilian and military leaders, joint, inter-agency, and multinational operations, operational net assessment, effects based operations, organizational change, Army culture, and leadership. Clearly, I have identified but a handful of stimuli that an officer must be proficient in, and I highly recommend to other researchers to develop a list of their own and conduct a similar review of these institutions. These two components are then filtered through the specific organizations mentioned above to see if the Army has indeed considered these challenges and opportunities and ensured our Army officers are educated and trained to operate in the current environment. This monograph provides an assessment on the Army's performance at these institutions and provides recommendations for improving them as well. The conclusion finds t