The question I address in this research is: How should the military training develop in order to keep abreast with the rapid development of information technology in the 21st century?
In light of the fact that the existing training methods based on f...
The question I address in this research is: How should the military training develop in order to keep abreast with the rapid development of information technology in the 21st century?
In light of the fact that the existing training methods based on familiarization through repetition and the quantitative increase in the number of training hours fall short of achieving meaningful improvement in effectiveness and bringing about a fundamental upgrading of the forces, the formulation and implementation of policies aimed at allowing the forces to take a leadership role in the era of the information technology is deemed necessary.
After examining the use of computer; the necessity of introducing the CBT as a response to changing educational environment and modes of its applications; the method of implementing the distance training using the cutting-edge information technology; the concept of simulation and the U.S. cases involving simulation; and the future tasks of our military forces, I conclude that the current efforts are lacking even when the improvement projects underway are considered. I propose that:
(1) The school-based training must be integrated with the field operations on a real-time basis in such a way that the standardized education must be made available to the entire forces and the military infrastructure responsive to the future digital battlefield requirement can successfully develop;
(2) The regiment-based training can prepare the soldiers and troops for the future battles only if it succeeds in streamlining complex administrative procedures and in incorporating information technology including the simulation in such as way that the actions of all relevant levels of the forces can be coordinated in simulated battlefields;
(3) Meaningful level of investment must follow in order to execute the afore-mentioned initiatives;
(4) The forces must accumulate technology know-how by merging it with the social science-based technology;
(5) The procedures to deal with emergencies disrupting the normal system operation must be put in place.
In conclusion, the forces must be engaged in sustained research into the changing environments including the information technology. This research suggests that the policy supports for the distance education and the use of simulation as methods of innovation in the military training must be sustained.