Education Military

Education, Military, training of the officers and enlisted (or conscripted) personnel of a nation's military and naval forces. The goal of such training is to equip members of the services with the basic skills and discipline needed for appropriate action under the stress of combat. Qualified personnel may receive more formal education to enable them to advance professionally.

Current trends in military education reflect rapid changes brought about by technological innovation and are geared to national security requirements. Advanced courses taken at civilian colleges and universities play a major role in supplementing the educational experience of selected personnel (primarily officers). In the United States, integration of women into the service academies was begun in 1976. On fulfilling their mandatory obligations or on retiring from the services, many embark on civilian careers in management or in professions requiring the skills acquired in the services.

In the United States, the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programmes in high schools and colleges prepare students for commissions in the Army Reserve. The United States Military Academy is a four-year engineering college whose graduates are commissioned into the Regular Army. Corresponding service institutions are the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy, and the US Merchant Marine Academy (see Merchant Marine of the United States).

The US Department of Defense maintains the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., which trains senior officers and selected civilians in theories and procedures relevant to national security.