Military Review English Edition November-December 2013 | Page 15

E D U C AT I N G S T R AT E G I C P L A N N E R S

Year:

1

2

3

4

5

6

PhD
Coursework

Phase 2

Phase 1

Strategic Planner Track
Strategic Planning Developmental Assignment

Utilization

Dissertation
PhD

Professional Military Education at the
School of Advanced Military Studies

Officers remain enrolled in accordance with their
university’s procedural and fiscal requirements.

PhD
Coursework

Phase 2

Phase 1

Command Track
Command (Battalion/Brigade)

Dissertation

Utilization
PhD

Figure
The Timeline of ASP3

strategic planners and leaders require to operate at
the highest levels. The success of ASP3 involves
three key components:
?? Selecting the right officer.
?? Providing the right education.
?? Providing the right experience through a managed process of strategic level assignments.
In each of these elements, experience and education provide a balanced approach to creating the end
product: an officer “who can think creatively, plan
strategically, and communicate with senior leaders in all branches of government and academia.”7
Inherently included in this definition is the ability
for those senior leaders to operate within the joint,
interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational
environment as well as collaborate with other
important players including foreign civilian and
military leaders, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and myriad elements that
make up the modern battlefield.
The first component, selecting the right officer,
requires a holistic approach that includes evaluating
the officer’s ability to complete a doctorate, ensuring the officer has the experience and preparation
to serve at the strategic level, and coordinating with
career managers as well as senior leaders. Pursuing
a doctorate involves a substantial amount of individual study and effort, and the officer must have
a strong desire to complete the requirements. One
indicator of an officer’s ability to undergo a doctoral
MILITARY REVIEW

• November-December 2013

program is successful completion of a rigorous
post-graduate degree that includes a significant
writing requirement in the form of a thesis or monograph. The officer’s demonstrated commitment to
a lengthy research project gives a strong indication
that the officer will be able to complete a doctoral
dissertation in the future. Likewise, publishing in
academic journals also serves to identify those who
have the wherewithal to complete a doctorate. Officers with a strong performance in operational and
planning assignments have potential to serve successfully as strategic planners, and a broad range of
assignments help contribute to their future success.
Additionally, support from senior leaders in the
form of letters of recommendation helps identify the
right officers to complete this demanding program.
Ideally, the individual would have served 12-20
years in the Army with experience in tactical and
operational units, have experience as an operational
planner, and have a strong academic background.
The experience as an operational planner is critical
to providing context for the coursework and educational experience.
Having selected the best officers, providing the
appropriate civilian and professional education is
key. For civilian education, this involves finding
the university and degree program that can satisfy
an officer’s professional and academic interests and
contribute to his or her ability to plan, collaborate,
and communicate at the strategic level. Study in a
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