‘Military Review’ steps up

I've been critical on
occasion of the Army's Military Review,
so I want to point out that the new issue has several provocative articles. The
best, I think, is one on critical thinking by Col. Thomas
Williams. He
argues that Army PME "needs work." He thinks the Army needs to focus "less on
knowledge and content and more on the ability to question and argue." He also
calls on the Army to develop what he calls heretics -- "leaders capable of
challenging convention to create imaginative solutions regardless of the
operational environment." Like Roseanne Cash, Colonel Williams knows that the beginning of
wisdom is not to walk into a situation thinking you know the answers, but
figuring out the right questions.

I eagerly dug into another article, "Meritocracy in the Profession of
Arms," and wanted to like
it, but put it down disappointed. The author clearly has something on his mind
-- basically, re-emphasizing competence. I am all for that. But the article
seems to be kind of a rant about the "muddy boots" mindset. He uses the phrase
six times in the article, but never defines it, which would be the first step
in explaining why he finds it so pernicious. (And to quibble, I don't think the
author was well-served by his proofreader: You'd think the Army's premier
magazine could spell General Westmoreland's name correctly on page 20. Also, to be even
pickier, at the bottom of page 49, the current month is given as "Janaury.")