Distance education for Army officers could "endanger national security"

War college may be scaled back

 

I doubt that this initiative will pose a serious threat to national security. The Army War College is already doing it on a smaller scale.

"AWC already has a "very successful and extremely effective" distance-education program where predominately reserve and National Guard officers spend two years taking courses over the Internet for the same master of strategic studies degree offered to resident students, Colpo says."

Some FYI:

"Q: Do other Senior Service Colleges confer a Master's degree to graduates?
A: At this time, the Air War College, Naval War College, National War College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces confer Master' s degree to resident graduates who fulfill the requirements for the degree. USAWC is the first Senior Service College to confer the degree to Distance Education Course graduates."

http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/degree/index.html

The Army War College does not appear to be regionally accredited yet. The Navy War College is.

"In 1991 the [Navy War] College was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges to award a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies."

http://www.nwc.navy.mil/aboutnwc/history.htm

 

War college idea worries congressman

 

OK, I see the concerns now.

"Retired Army Col. Zane Finkelstein of Carlisle says ADL would not only hurt the local economy but endanger national security by producing senior military officers who are not as prepared for policy-making decisions as they should be."

I was thinking of a totally different national security concerns in a totally different context.

The GAO report should be interesting. I would think that a full-time resident program would win out every time over a part-time nonresident program, if money was not an issue.