Thinking militaries or military thinking: the need for education in armed forces

Abstract

English: The recently tabled parliamentary report on the South African Military Academy did not pose the most fundamental question concerning the existence of the Military Academy: why is it important that soldiers should become academically educated? Does sound military training not offer sufficient professional preparation for soldiers? This article attempts to explain why soldiers need to be academically educated, while considering the influence of the “military mind” on the education of armed forces. The underlying argument is that soldiers need to be empowered by acquiring a thorough academic understanding of three particular environments: the higher order politicosecurity environment, the defence environment, and the military environment.

Afrikaans: Die onlangse parlementêre verslag oor die Suid-Afrikaanse Militêre Akademie het nie aan die mees fundamentele vraag rakende die Militêre Akademie aandag gegee nie: waarom is dit belangrik vir soldate om akademies opgevoed te word? Bied grondige militêre opleiding nie voldoende professionele voorbereiding vir soldate nie? Dié artikel poog dus om te verduidelik waarom dit noodsaaklik is dat soldate akademies opgevoed moet word. Aandag word ook geskenk aan die invloed van die militêre denkwyse op die opvoeding van die gewapende magte. Die onderliggende argument is dat akademiese opvoeding soldate moet bemagtig om drie omgewings te verstaan: die hoër orde politiek-strategiese omgewing, die verdedigingsomgewing en die militêre omgewing.