Learning in the Canadian Armed Forces: Exploring how Military Officers Write About Training and Education

Abstract

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is a large organization that relies upon people to accomplish a variety of unique and specific tasks. Consisting of approximately 68,000 full-time and 27,000 part-time members spread amongst the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Canadian Army, CAF members occupy approximately 100 different occupations (DND, 2021). From the moment an individual joins until they leave the military, they are on a path of continual learning. Often these occupations have no civilian equivalency or external institution capable of providing the necessary learning environment. As a result, the military is responsible to design and deliver the specialized body of knowledge and skills required by its members at all stages of their career. Military members learn within the CAF through education, training, and experience (DND, 2017). Given the range of occupations, the necessity to educate at all stages of a member’s career, and the requirement to have a single approach, the CAF Individual Training and Education (IT&E) system is complex. However, literature exploring this system outside of the military is limited. So how does the CAF approach the transmission and acquisition of knowledge within its organization? And what do members think about this?
While most learning within the CAF is prescriptive, mid-level officers at the rank of Major and Lieutenant-Commander in the Joint Command and Staff Programme (JCSP) have an opportunity to critically examine an issue of interest. They do this through the production of a staff paper focused on solving a single problem, and for some, they also complete a master’s thesis. Examining what these officers choose to write about represents an opportunity to identify issues that matter most to a particular cohort of officers within the profession of arms. To explore current thinking, this paper examines how ideas about learning manifest in these papers. Thus, understanding their current thinking may help illuminate the future of military education. Post-JCSP, many students will assume roles and responsibilities within the CAF which may shape IT&E directly or indirectly. Prior to examining these papers, a brief overview of learning within the CAF in general and JCSP more specifically is provided.