Warriors for Peace: The Next Generation of U.S. Military Leaders

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which military socialization at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point prepares future officers cognitively for the changing security requirements of the post-Cold War world. The increasing involvement of U.S. armed forces in operations other than war (OOTW) requires officers to shift with mounting frequency from warfighting to peacekeeping and back again as missions change. The article contends that the Army's readiness to serve the nation's interests in the future can best be ensured if officers are committed to both the military's traditional combat roles and to its many new noncombat functions. Using survey methods, the article examines the social, political, and professional attitudes and values of cadets at the USMA in order to measure the effects of military socialization on their level of commitment to the Army's post-Cold War roles.