Seminar
Hosted by
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
(Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
In an effort to take a high-level look at the strategic role that social and cultural sciences and studies play in shaping America’s warfighting capability, the Department of the Navy will attempt to spur widespread dialogue through a series of informative events, beginning with a Human Sciences Research Issue Seminar on October 20, 2006 at the Center for Naval Analysis.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy William A. Navas is hosting this seminar/forum as a means of exploring these issues with a wide variety of representatives from the Military Services and academia.
New Challenges - Innovative Solutions: Currently there exists much debate and discussion regarding the challenges our warfighters, particularly the ground combat elements, face in the 21st century environment. Today’s Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors are expected to and must survive in what former Commandant of the Marines, General Charles Krulak, refers to as the "Three Block War" environment. This largely urban, dangerous, fast-paced, complex battle space imposes stresses and conditions way beyond what previous warfighters had to endure. Under these conditions, developing and preparing the individual, the units, and supporting equipment requires the use of more knowledge based concepts, innovative methods and will likely require more substantial efforts and investments in Human/Personnel Science and Technology research. In the words of retired Army Major General Bob Scales, to win WW IV, the long war of a psycho-social warfare nature, we must harness the social and human sciences as the essential amplifiers of military performance.
Next Steps: In order to properly define the magnitude and nature of these warfighting and research challenges, a strategically-oriented examination is necessary. The Department of the Navy seeks to take a leading role in addressing these challenges by engaging in a thorough review and study, followed by the development of a proposal for implementing appropriate policy and program changes.
So, how do we get and train the right people to survive in this environment and to be that strategic corporal described by General Krulak. What is the right amount of human science research that is needed to prepare us for this kind of warfare. Accordingly, Secretary Navas wants to examine these issues in human science research. To do this, we are conducting this seminar and developing future symposia to look at these issues.