From Consumer to Custodian

Military Review  |  Jan K. Gleiman, Ryan L. Shaw

The United States Army is facing a critical operational capability gap as the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems outpaces its traditional, closed professional military education system. This institutional lag threatens to produce future commanders who are unprepared to counter sophisticated near-peer adversaries in highly contested electromagnetic and technological environments.

Historically, the military maintained autonomy over its expert knowledge through an internally stewarded learning model designed for long periods of strategic stability. However, contemporary competition across globalized information flows and civilian infrastructure has expanded the scope of required expertise beyond traditional boundaries. To maintain its competitive advantage, the service must transition from passive consumption of external insights to active custodianship by establishing structured, continuous partnerships with civilian universities. Integrating academic research directly into the force will allow the institution to adapt to rapid innovation cycles and secure the frontier of technological development.

Comment

The reliance of the US Army Command and General Staff College on TRADOC-mandated curriculum review cycles creates a systemic vulnerability when confronting software-defined warfare. This structural lag prevents the rapid codification of lessons from active electromagnetic and algorithmic contests into Field Manual 3-0 operations. Consequently, this internal knowledge stewardship model fails to prepare US Army staff officers for the compressed decision timelines dictated by commercial artificial intelligence integration. The resulting educational deficit directly compromises the operational readiness of US Army brigade combat teams facing near-peer electronic warfare threats.

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