War education tackles new tactics

'More complicated threats'

Class discussions in military colleges tend to focus on information technology and how to respond to a biological or chemical threat

By By Kathy Slobogin
CNN

(CNN) -- Sit in on a class at the War College these days and you're as likely to be sitting next to someone from the State Department, Congress or even a another country as a Navy commander or Army colonel.

The discussion tends to be less about troop movements than about things like building international coalitions, advances in information technology, or how to respond to an anthrax attack.

As America girds for a new kind of war, the military is educating a new kind of warrior. The National Defense University, which includes the War College, teaches top officers from the armed forces. Once a school primarily for military personnel, one-third of its students now are non-military, reflecting the complexity of national security in today's world.

"There are many, many people involved in strategic planning, decision making, getting approvals," said Vice Admiral Paul Gaffney, president of the university.

Gaffney says classes also include many more students from other countries than in past years.

"When we talk about the Middle East or sub-Saharan Africa, there will be somebody in the room that may have actually been in combat in that area, may actually know a national leader personally," Gaffney said.

The idea that military force is only one possible weapon, and may not always be the best one, is a constant theme.

"We really do stress that the traditional understanding of the military instrument of power -- the going to war, sending tanks and airplanes and ships into battle -- that's only one element of national power," said Jim Keagle, a professor at the university who teaches a course on grand strategy.

	VIDEO
A Washington university is studying new ways to fight wars using new technologies and ways of thinking. CNN's Kathy Slobogin reports (October 1) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Keagle says military education has undergone a revolution in recent years. Economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure or even an information campaign may be more effective than military force.

'More complicated threats'

Gone are the days when the enemy was the Soviet Union.

"In today's world what we see are a collection of more complicated threats -- states ... individuals, terrorist cells... it makes it much more difficult for us to plan and respond," explained Keagle.

New technology has made war more complex. The global reach and lightning speed of information retrieval has added two burdens for fighters -- mastering the technology and managing the avalanche of information.

"Now commanders on the battlefield try to be informationally dominant. Knowing the whereabouts of your enemy before they understand your whereabouts becomes increasingly important where the ability to respond first is better than absorbing an attack and then responding."

Students often get demonstrations with new interactive technology

Officers get demonstrations in "wearable" computers, lightweight computers wired through vests. A soldier wearing one of these could be alone in an inaccessible spot in Afghanistan and communicate in real time with headquarters in Washington, or access satellite maps that would show him where the enemy is, or what's over the next hill.

The university has recently added more interactive classes and simulations, so students can practice responding to a crisis in real time. A recent simulation had them handling an anthrax attack on a major U.S. city.

There is also a virtual classroom where students wearing 3-D glasses experience a virtual reality simulation of command and control centers and actual battlefields. Weather and terrain can be modified to match different scenarios.

The general idea is to avoid one of history's truisms -- countries tend to fight today's war like the last one. That would be a big mistake, according to Keagle.

"Do we think that all future operations will be conduced like the Persian Gulf operation was conducted, in which air power was the dominant influence in the outcome of what we were able to achieve? Can we expect the same adversary with the same capabilities and behavior to exist? The answer to that question is no."