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Command and General Staff?

ST COMO SECRETARY

21 CONOJ PUTY POST COMMANDER

Maj Gen Lione

Brig Gen W

Col H. C. Day

Col E. C. Du

Col W. M. Co

Col W. S

Col R. L. Shoemaker

Col J. F. Franklin,

Col W. W. Cu

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Keeps Pace With the Future

Major General Lionel C. McGarr, USA

Commandant, U. S. Army Command and General Staff College "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty"-Curran, 19th Century

THE world has lived with progres- point, approach, and emphasis. The most

sively increasing tensions since well before the "peace in our time" statement at Munich-tensions which have been increased or decreased at will to serve the purpose of our enemies. At present there is little foreseeable diminution of those tensions which are being employed on a global scale by international communism as a tactic, a weapon in the titanic political, economic, psychological, and at times physical conflict between completely opposing ideologies.

In the "equation of survival" the security of the United States and the protection of our fundamental institutions are the stake in this decisive era of history. Improvement is the key to this vital equation, and the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College remains dedicated to its traditional mission of training and improving the minds of the Army's commanders.

necessary element of this change is mental mobility which is all important if we are to gain the over-all mobility necessary to insure success on the atomic battlefields of the future.

As the total implication of the far-reaching decisions made necessary by these planned changes becomes increasingly clear, we realize that we must add fiber to the strength and wisdom to the councils of the defense team. More important, however, we must insure that we systematically anticipate and prepare for these fateful decisions. In this age of advanced technology and original thinking, we cannot accept outmoded concepts and half measures. More than a century of progress has been crammed into the past few years, and we must keep pace! We must have the imagination to recognize, the inclination to understand, and the ability to use new concepts evolved as flexible instruments

Our chance of progress, our very hope of survival, lies in molding the minds of our leaders in the direction of progress. This is the sacred trust and the awesome duty of the U. S. Army's educational system.

Although the status quo resists change because it is the path of least resistance, nothing in life is static. We either move forward or we move backward. The Armed Forces of our Nation realize that substantial and far-reaching change is inevitable. New organizations and weapons are but facets of planned change-change in view

of the art of war serving as an instrument of national policy. The USA CGSC must, by realistic assumption and instruction, insure that our doctrine and training, even without complete field test and evaluation, are sufficient and ready for any future war.

Thus logically we can conclude that all

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sign posts, both atomic and conventional, point irrevocably to the same fateful crossroad of decision. We are faced with a definite choice between two major opposing possibilities:

First: We can feel our way slowly and cautiously forward, making certain of each

these two missions are actually sep and must be considered as such.

The education of the selected p sional officer must prepare him for the panorama of possible battlegrounds. 7 may well stretch from the cold war t unlimited nuclear holocaust, and into

Thinking typical of World War II and Korea can negate all progres applied blindly to new concepts, new organizations, and new wea on the nuclear battlefield, and could well be fatal to our way of

hesitant step, with one hand firmly attached to the past. This path leads to a safe, sure, certain goal-if the enemy will cooperate.

Second: We can be guided by advanced thinking based on the results of research and analysis, combat developments, and tests. We can move boldly and decisively forward, retaining that which is applicable but breaking clearly with the outmoded concepts of the past-casting only an occasional backward glance for orientation. This course entails greater risk and is a more difficult road to follow, but its possibilities of a breakthrough in advancing the art of warfare offer far greater rewards than does the first course. A similar breakthrough in educational philosophy also must be sought.

The speed of progress is forcing us away from the slow, sure, evolutionary approach and more toward the reasoned revolutionary approach. This is demanded if our Army is to continue to remain strong through proper mental conditioning, forward thinking, and decisive action.

In the shadow of the Fort Leavenworth clock tower overlooking the Missouri, the College has reached its decision. Fort Leavenworth is now taking this forwardlooking approach in attacking its most vital twofold mission: doctrine for the modern Army, and education for its officer corps. Although closely interrelated,

other important arenas of this decisive troubled time-the testing ground, joint staff, and the conference table.

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Just as man, well-trained, well-in trinated, and properly motivated, only absolute weapon; so the mind of is the most wondrous work of the Cre However, the mind of man does not f tion on automation, and the responsib of the Army educational system in field of military education is to insure the military mind functions in a pro tive, forward-looking, nonstatic capa The development and use of this ter power for accomplishment locked in mind of man has always been the challe faced by the educator. The military cator must insure that the soldier is a ready, and eager to assimilate and ploy the progress of the atomic era. mission is to produce a well-rounded off who can think on his feet and fight v his head, as well as his heart, in any ture situation.

In the doctrinal field, the College charged with developing doctrine and w initiating action as necessary to formul or revise doctrine, including joint doctri within the concept guidance furnis by the Commanding General, U. S. C tinental Army Command (US CONAR This doctrine must be bold, forward lo ing, and practical. It must be based on accurate understanding of the ent spectrum of the future battlefield to

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