Critical and Creative Thinking: Are Innovation and Initiative Welcome in the Military?
Critical and Creative Thinking: Are Innovation and Initiative Welcome in the Military?

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the direction in which the command philosophy of the Western militaries is moving. We live in a time of rapid change. The developed world has been living in an information society for some time now, the nature of post-Cold War conflicts seems to be different from previous conflicts, and since 11 September 2001, we have been facing a new and very serious enemy – international terrorism on a truly devastating scale. All of these factors influence the development of the military and pose new requirements for the command structures and arrangements. This paper attempts to provide some insight into the factors influencing the development of modern armed forces. It begins with an outline of the nature of war, especially its unchanging features followed by a description of different command philosophies. The study then turns to the question of how the different aspects of modern warfare and the present armed forces influence the command philosophy used. An insight is provided through looking at the nature of joint planning, personnel policies, evolving leadership styles and the influence of modern technological developments. The article concludes with a summary and conclusions.

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