Letter from the Editor
Brig. Gen. Scott L. Efflandt , U.S. Army
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Brig. Gen. Scott L. Efflandt , U.S. Army
Provost, Army University
Deputy Commandant,
Command and General Staff College
Welcome to the second edition of the Journal of Military Learning. I have the privilege of inheriting the great work done by Maj. Gen. John Kem, who I replaced as the Army University provost in September.
Now, perhaps more so than any time in recent Army history, we face peer challengers who seek to reshape the world order in asymmetrical and unpredictable ways. Our single biggest deterrent to thwart malign influence abroad is producing agile and innovative leaders who can think their way through these challenges and, if necessary, fight and win. I view the JML as a tool to bring current adult learning, writing, and research from the field for the development of leaders.
Our purpose is to imbue soldiers and Army civilians with the critical-thinking skills that enable them to succeed in the most ambiguous conditions. The formula is simple and time-proven; better-educated soldiers and leaders increase force readiness, and force readiness translates into mission success. We seek to improve our forces readiness through increased rigor and efficiency in all our training and educational endeavors by adopting, and promulgating throughout the Army’s educational enterprise, the most cutting-edge techniques available. This is the most efficient way for us to prepare our soldiers for life on and off the battlefield.
The peer-reviewed articles in this edition range from how we might utilize emerging theories to enhance cognitive performance, to advocating for a competency-based approach in Army education. It is via hard work, resulting in creative articles like these, which further us in our mission to examine and implement creative learning innovations.
I encourage educators, researchers, and military professionals, both uniformed and civilian, to submit articles to this journal. Only through challenging old paradigms, examining and evaluating alternatives, and then incorporating the very best will we be able to deliver the education and training which our soldiers and civilian professionals deserve, and which an increasingly complex world demands. A detailed call for papers and the submission guidelines can be found at http://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Journal-of-Military-Learning .