Raising the Bar: Creating and Nurturing Adaptability to Deal with the Changing Face of War

Executive Summary

"Adaptability" has become a buzzword throughout the U.S. Army due to experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the Army's introduction to 4th generation warfare. The Army recognizes that in order to move toward becoming a "learning organization" where leaders practice adaptability, it will have to change its culture, particularly its leader development paradigm. The challenge is great, but signs are beginning to appear that it might be possible as new ideas are implemented.

Today's leader development paradigm evolved from one that worked to support the nation's long-standing mobilization doctrine. Mobilization doctrine relies on a small core of full time professional soldiers, backed by large militias or National Guard forces in peacetime, to be prepared to expand rapidly in the event of a national emergency - such as war. Successful mobilization requires time and massive resources. Time is needed to get troops prepared, while resources compensate for lack of experience, professionalism and cohesion needed to fight and win a war.

To support the mobilization doctrine, the Army developed leadership training methods that paralleled management training practices in the corporate structures of the Industrial Age. The challenge for the Army was to get millions of citizens with little or no military experience and turn them into soldiers and officers in a short time. Industry provided the answers, and in the aftermath of the glow of victory in several wars, these approaches became institutionalized.

Some modifications were applied to leader development, but they happened along the fringes of existing laws, regulations, policies and beliefs. Army alterations to today's leader development paradigm may not be enough. The Army has "thought" and "acted" from an antiquated, mobilization-based leader development paradigm that still exists more than 16 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. This Industrial Age model

Maj. Donald E. Vandergriff, U.S. Army, retired on Aug. 30, 2005, following 24 years of active duty as an enlisted Marine and Army officer. He has served in numerous troop, staff and education assignments in the United States and overseas.

Vandergriff was named ROTC instructor of the year 2002-2003 and the 3rd ROTC Brigade instructor of the year for 2003-2004. Vandergriff is a recognized authority on the U.S. Army personnel system, Army culture, leadership development, soldier training and, in the early 21st century, the emergence of asymmetric warfare, also known as 4th generation warfare (4GW). He has authored over 50 articles, numerous briefings and two books.

The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command s Future Center renamed in December 2005 as Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) located at Fort Monroe, Va., hired Vandergriff to contribute toward the evolution of Army leader development programs and to recommend changes that will prepare the Army s leaders and soldiers for the future.

Vandergriff wrote this monograph in his free time during the final days of his assignment at Georgetown University Army ROTC. He has already shared its contents with the Army chain of command and other service agencies that deal with leader development.

Vandergriff and his wife, Lorraine, currently reside in Woodbridge, Va., with their numerous dogs and a cat.