European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 4, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Events of the pest year Are forcing leaders of the nation s War colleges to consider revising their curriculum. The colleges were unprepared for the rapid changes which May mean new rotes Tor the military. Rethinking the threat by Bernard e. Tra1n0r new York times As the faculty i the naval War College at Newport r i., Sal in a conference room puzzling Over what changes arc needed m their curriculum to respond to the dramatic events untold my m Eastern Europe next door 50 generals and admirals from the North Atlantic Tarcaly organisation were playing an annual War game for the senior nato officers it was business As usual in their eyes the enemy i real was undid missed As they sought fast week to Deleal a hypothetical soviet alack on Norway one a Nash Olicer watching the scene said. When Mii Ilary men Don i know whal to do. They do what they know Quot Bui Lor the senior officers who serve As instructors Al the nation s lop level military schools leaching what they know is no longer enough for More than <10 years like the participants in the War game they have prepared to Deal with soviet aggression now they fed Thal Threal is growing More ambiguous by the Day and say Thal War games aimed Al the soviets Are increasingly irrelevant Quot the threat is no longer the russians said capt John h Hvidt of the Navy school Quot the Threal is  Robin Pine the head of the College s strategic studies group agreed and sad. Quot developing a course of instruction in the lace of such drama he changes is like trying to paint a moving Tram Quot the army Navy and air Force each have War colleges and the defense department sponsors two More that specialize in economics and resource management As Well As High level strategy these colleges play a major role m developing strategic thinkers and prospective generals and admirals for the armed forces More than a thousand of the services brightest officers Are be Tecie each year to ailed nine month courses at the colleges most students Are experienced officers in the Grade of commander in the Navy or lieutenant colonel in the other services who will go on to important command end stall assignments the courses Al All five colleges stress military theory and the principles of National Security. Through seminars War games and research the students Lor ulale strategies and set up military forces to carry them out. Until the events of the past year the students wrestled with problems largely concerning a threat irom the soviet Union like the one addressed in the nato War game at Newport the problems Dilleree Tittle irom those faced by officers attending the schools a decade ago. But this academic year All Thal has been changing As the Berlin Walt came Lum blog Down and Hartline East bloc regimes were unravelling according to vice adm John Baldwin who Heads the National defense University which consists of the National War College and the Industrial College of the armed forces nobody in the military or the Academe world foresaw the sudden upheaval in Eastern Europe and the effect upon military thinking in the colleges is still unclear. A while the principles underlying National Security remain the  he said Quot whal that Means in practice is by no Means Clear Quot the events m Europe and the military s Ole in the War against drugs have stimulated Sharp discussions among the students and the Prospect of a reduced military budget has already raised questions about the services roles and whal they might be called on to do Quot the russians Are out and the third world is in Quot said i col Paul Pugh a Manne who is a student at the naval War College Quot in a changing world each of us wants his own service to be out front with innovative  he said col Roy Stafford the academic Dean of the Nasonal War College said the students know that there is no school solution to the new challenges and Thal i hair views Are ust As valid As those of the faculty Quot col Don Lundy of the army War College m Carlisle. A. Said. Quot everyone accepts the Loci that the old Way or thinking is on is Way out. But whal happens in Europe now Quot Quot with the rebirth of nationalism in the East Ore we going Back to 1912 and an endless round of territorial disputes 7&Quot he asked a How much of a Threal will Thal Bolo u s interests7 whal sort of military do to need for the coming decade7 what is the Ideal balance Between Active duty forces and reserves for Bolh nato and third world contingencies including the drug War Quot the colonel said War colleges must integrate thinking about these issues into their curriculum Lor the current and coming year. With the exception of the air War College in Montgomery ala., Whoso commander i Gen. Charles g. Boyd said the College s curriculum is driven by Quot enduring  unrelated to current events academic Deans at the schools Are considering a variety of they say that after welf been pr0ffrly item cup we May Kaye a Chaper map plainer wether Quot a amps Kanom i changes to begin in the next academic year which begins this summer. The National War College believes Iho Best Way to Deal with uncertainty is to ask Hie budding strategists in the school to decide the kind of world the United states wants to see 10 years from now and to work Back from that on the ways of making it a reality while at the same Lime providing a hedge against unpredictable events. The naval War College takes a diff int approach. Capt Betsy Wylie the academic Dean said the future is Loo unc Orlam to be definitive. Quot ii is like driving in a fog. A she  High beams will Only Blind you. It is belter to creep along on your lows so you can see where you Are  William Turcotte the head of the school s strategy Branch said this Means the College sees the current situation As an interim one Quot ii is much too Early to say How things Wilt play out. In the meantime the students should confine Ihetu thinking to what is happening not what they think will happen maintaining a Strong and balanced military Force has gotten us to where we Are and we should not go Olf on lights of fancy before the dust  he said. Another faculty member said Quot we know we will have smaller armed forces but to want the students to think about what those forces will look like and do Quot the colleges admit they were unprepared for the Rush of events in Europe As Well As being equally unprepared to address the role of the military in the War on drugs a role that was not even considered by the colleges during the Reagan administration. As part As president Bush s Anh drug Campaign. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney recently increased lha role of the armed forces but there Are no drug enforcement experts on any of the faculties Page 16 the stars Ano Stripe sunday february 4,1990