Military Review English Edition January-February 2017 | Page 118

Writing as a Means to Improve Soldier Competence The Army can cultivate and better utilize soldier competence by compelling soldiers to write articles about professional military topics and by including writing on operational matters as part of their daily duties. They should conduct research, think critically, and study. These processes are inherent in professional writing, and are catalysts for developing competent and adaptive soldiers. Naveed Saleh concurs that research is inherent in writing, and he reports, “good writers spend about 80 percent of their time actually writing. Good research helps you determine what’s important with respect to the issue being explored and much more.”10 Kate L. Turabian describes the knowledge-enhancing value of research, stating that writing a research report increases one’s knowledge on a subject and enhances one’s ability to write.11 So, by compelling soldiers to research and write on aspects of the military profession and also as part of daily operations, the Army can help them build the high level of competence vital to overcoming complex challenges. 116 Adm. James Stavridis, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, addresses students from the U.S. Naval War College and Senior Enlisted Academy during a visit to the Naval War College 23 October 2012 in Newport, Rhode Island. In a 2008 article in Proceedings, Stavridis advocates writing for publication. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Dietrich, U.S. Navy) Dwight Eisenhower’s experience under the command and mentorship of Maj. Gen. Fox Conner is a good example of how an emphasis on writing in daily operations can enhance competence. While they were stationed in Panama during the early 1920s, Conner had his young protégé and operations officer write plans and operation orders on a daily basis, which grew Eisenhower’s prowess as an operational planner. In a letter reply to Eisenhower’s request for insights to help him prepare for attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Conner wrote, You may not know it, but because of your three years’ work in Panama, you are far better trained and ready for Leavenworth than anybody I know. You will recall that during your January-February 2017  MILITARY REVIEW